Project description:BackgroundMass COVID-19 vaccination campaigns have helped impede the COVID-19 pandemic. In rare cases, some vaccines have led to vaccine associated myocarditis in a specific subset of the population, usually young males. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can reliably diagnose vaccine associated myocarditis, but follow-up data of CMR proven acute myocarditis is scarce.Materials and methodsNine patients with acute vaccine associated myocarditis underwent baseline and follow-up CMR examinations and were compared to baseline parameters at initial presentation and to a group of 20 healthy controls. CMR protocol included functional assessment, T1 and T2 mapping, T2 signal intensity ratio, strain feature tracking, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).ResultsMyocarditis patients (n = 9, aged 24 ± 6 years, 8 males) underwent CMR follow-up after an average of 5.8 ± 4.3 months. All patients showed a complete resolution of visual myocardial edema while also demonstrating a reduction in overall LGE extent from baseline to follow-up (4.2 ± 2.1 vs. 0.9 ± 0.8%, p < 0.001), although visual LGE was still noted in all patients. Left ventricular ejection fraction was normal at baseline and at follow-up (58 ± 6 vs. 62 ± 4%, p = 0.10) as well as compared to a healthy control group (60 ± 4%, p = 0.24). T1 (1024 ± 77 vs. 971 ± 34 ms, p = 0.05) and T2 relaxations times (57 ± 6 vs. 51 ± 3 ms, p = 0.03) normalized at follow-up. Most patients reported a resolution of clinical symptoms, while two (22%) reported new onset of exertional dyspnea.ConclusionPatients with COVID-19 vaccine associated acute myocarditis showed a complete, uncomplicated resolution of myocardial inflammation on follow-up CMR, which was associated with a near complete resolution of symptoms. Minor, residual myocardial scarring was present on follow-up LGE imaging. The long-term implications of the remaining myocardial scar-tissue after vaccine associated myocarditis remain unknown warranting further studies.
Project description:To analyze the clinical presentation and outcomes of myocarditis after administration of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine. Nine case series and 15 case reports (74 patients) of myocarditis after administration of the BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccine were reviewed from PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. We analyzed clinical manifestations, diagnostic findings, and outcomes. In addition, we performed a pooled analysis and investigated risk factors leading to admission to the intensive care unit and recovery with conservative care. Most patients were male (94.6%), and the median age (range) was 17.6 (14-70) years. Patients who received the BNT162b2 (n = 58, 78.4%) vaccine presented fewer systemic symptoms and left ventricular dysfunction than mRNA-1273 recipients. Although patients under 20 years experienced more fever and myalgia, they had better ejection fraction and less prominent myocardial inflammation in magnetic resonance imaging than older patients. The clinical course of all patients was favorable without mortality, and one-third of patients resolved with conservative care alone. Risk factor analyses revealed that patients with gastrointestinal symptoms required intensive care (odds ratio: 20.3, 95% confidence interval 1.90-217, p = 0.013). The risk of fatality in myocarditis subjected to mRNA vaccination seems to be low. However, patients with gastrointestinal symptoms received more intensive care, and a significant proportion of patients recovered with conservative management.
Project description:We present the case of a 20-year-old male patient without previous history of cardiovascular disease who was admitted to our hospital with a new onset febrile sensation and chest pain. Chest computed tomography revealed a subpleural consolidation with a halo of ground-glass opacification. Blood tests revealed elevated levels of markers of myocyte necrosis (troponin I and creatine kinase-MB). Nasopharyngeal swab was positive for COVID-19. Cardiac MRI showed myocardial edema and late gadolinium enhancement compatible with myocarditis associated with COVID-19 infection. This case showed that acute myocarditis can be the initial presentation of patients with COVID-19 infection.
Project description:BackgroundThe development of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine-associated myocarditis has been reported. Most of the reported cases are mild, with quick clinical recovery and excellent short-term outcomes. Cases of COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis presenting with sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) are rare.Case descriptionA 46-year-old male patient with no prior cardiac history presented following two episodes of syncope. Two days earlier, he had received his second dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer)-first dose was administered three weeks earlier. He had an episode of VT while in the emergency room. His cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were consistent with myocarditis. He was eventually diagnosed with COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis after all other work up were unremarkable [echocardiogram, coronary angiogram, diagnostic electrophysiology study and later 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) metabolism cardiac sarcoid positron emission tomography (PET) study]. An implantable cardiac monitor was implanted to monitor for recurrence of VT. Seven months after initial presentation, he had recurrent VT and he underwent implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). He has received appropriate ICD therapies on account of recurrent VT and he is currently maintained on an antiarrhythmic medication.ConclusionsExcellent short-term outcomes have been reported in patients with COVID-19 vaccine associated myocarditis. Our case shows that long-term outcomes may not be benign in everyone, particularly in those who develop myocardial scar.
Project description:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is reportedly safe and effective. The histologic features of post-COVID-19 vaccination myocarditis are unknown. We present a case of a 77-year-old Japanese woman diagnosed with eosinophilic myocarditis using endomyocardial biopsy, 7 days after the second dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine. Steroid pulse therapy was effective.
Project description:BackgroundApproximately 5.1 million Israelis had been fully immunized against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) after receiving two doses of the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) by May 31, 2021. After early reports of myocarditis during adverse events monitoring, the Israeli Ministry of Health initiated active surveillance.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed data obtained from December 20, 2020, to May 31, 2021, regarding all cases of myocarditis and categorized the information using the Brighton Collaboration definition. We analyzed the occurrence of myocarditis by computing the risk difference for the comparison of the incidence after the first and second vaccine doses (21 days apart); by calculating the standardized incidence ratio of the observed-to-expected incidence within 21 days after the first dose and 30 days after the second dose, independent of certainty of diagnosis; and by calculating the rate ratio 30 days after the second dose as compared with unvaccinated persons.ResultsAmong 304 persons with symptoms of myocarditis, 21 had received an alternative diagnosis. Of the remaining 283 cases, 142 occurred after receipt of the BNT162b2 vaccine; of these cases, 136 diagnoses were definitive or probable. The clinical presentation was judged to be mild in 129 recipients (95%); one fulminant case was fatal. The overall risk difference between the first and second doses was 1.76 per 100,000 persons (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 2.19), with the largest difference among male recipients between the ages of 16 and 19 years (difference, 13.73 per 100,000 persons; 95% CI, 8.11 to 19.46). As compared with the expected incidence based on historical data, the standardized incidence ratio was 5.34 (95% CI, 4.48 to 6.40) and was highest after the second dose in male recipients between the ages of 16 and 19 years (13.60; 95% CI, 9.30 to 19.20). The rate ratio 30 days after the second vaccine dose in fully vaccinated recipients, as compared with unvaccinated persons, was 2.35 (95% CI, 1.10 to 5.02); the rate ratio was again highest in male recipients between the ages of 16 and 19 years (8.96; 95% CI, 4.50 to 17.83), with a ratio of 1 in 6637.ConclusionsThe incidence of myocarditis, although low, increased after the receipt of the BNT162b2 vaccine, particularly after the second dose among young male recipients. The clinical presentation of myocarditis after vaccination was usually mild.
Project description:Myocarditis and pericarditis have been linked recently to COVID-19 vaccines without exploring the underlying mechanisms, or compared to cardiac adverse events post-non-COVID-19 vaccines. We introduce an informatics approach to study post-vaccine adverse events on the systems biology level to aid the prioritization of effective preventive measures and mechanism-based pharmacotherapy by integrating the analysis of adverse event reports from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) with systems biology methods. Our results indicated that post-vaccine myocarditis and pericarditis were associated most frequently with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines followed by live or live-attenuated non-COVID-19 vaccines such as smallpox and anthrax vaccines. The frequencies of cardiac adverse events were affected by vaccine, vaccine type, vaccine dose, sex, and age of the vaccinated individuals. Systems biology results suggested a central role of interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) in the biological processes leading to cardiac adverse events, by impacting MAPK and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. We suggest that increasing the time interval between vaccine doses minimizes the risks of developing inflammatory adverse reactions. We also propose glucocorticoids as preferred treatments based on system biology evidence. Our informatics workflow provides an invaluable tool to study post-vaccine adverse events on the systems biology level to suggest effective mechanism-based pharmacotherapy and/or suitable preventive measures.