Search

Case 1: A 71-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with progressive fever and dyspnea, which had developed three days after the onset of COVID-19. Initial chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a pulmonary lesion consistent with a secondary bacterial infection. Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated from cultures of primary sputum collected from the endotracheal tube, and identified as the causative microorganism. Case 2: A 91-year-old man was transferred to our hospital with severe hypotension, which had developed nine days after the onset of COVID-19. A chest CT revealed pericardial effusion and pericardiocentesis yielded purulent fluid. S. pyogenes was isolated from the fluid specimens and was identified as the causative microorganism of the secondary bacterial pericarditis. Isolates from both patients were subsequently identified as M1 UK -lineage S. pyogenes via genetic analysis. This report implicates COVID-19 as a potential risk factor for severe M1 UK infection via the respiratory tract., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

With the emerging success of the COVID-19 vaccination programs, the incidence of acute COVID-19 will decrease. However, given the high number of people who contracted SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovered, we will be faced with a significant number of patients with persistent symptoms even months after their COVID-19 infection. In this setting, long COVID and its cardiovascular manifestations, including pericarditis, need to become a top priority for healthcare systems as a new chronic disease process. Concerning the relationship between COVID-19 and pericardial diseases, pericarditis appears to be common in the acute infection but rare in the postacute period, while small pericardial effusions may be relatively common in the postacute period of COVID-19. Here, we reported a series of 7 patients developing pericarditis after a median of 20 days from clinical and virological recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. We excluded specific identifiable causes of pericarditis, hence we speculate that these cases can be contextualized within the clinical spectrum of long COVID. All our patients were treated with a combination of colchicine and either ASA or NSAIDs, but four of them did not achieve a clinical response. When switched to glucocorticoids, these four patients recovered with no recurrence during drug tapering. Based on this observation and on the latency of pericarditis occurrence (a median of 20 days after a negative nasopharyngeal swab), could be suggested that post-COVID pericarditis may be linked to ongoing inflammation sustained by the persistence of viral nucleic acid without virus replication in the pericardium. Therefore, glucocorticoids may be a suitable treatment option in patients not responding or intolerant to conventional therapy and who require to counteract the pericardial inflammatory component rather than direct an acute viral injury to the pericardial tissue.

Children and adolescents with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection usually have a milder illness, lower mortality rates and may manifest different clinical entities compared with adults. Acute effusive pericarditis is a rare clinical manifestation in patients with COVID-19, especially among those without concurrent pulmonary disease or myocardial injury. We present 2 cases of acute pericarditis, in the absence of initial respiratory or other symptoms, in adolescents with COVID-19., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 causes the clinical syndrome of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) which has become a global pandemic resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. While the virus primarily affects the respiratory system, it also causes a wide variety of complex cardiac manifestations such as acute myopericarditis, acute coronary syndrome, congested heart failure, cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrhythmias. There are numerous proposed mechanisms of cardiac injury, including direct cellular injury, pro-inflammatory cytokine storm, myocardial oxygen-demand mismatch, and systemic inflammation causing multi-organ failure. Additionally, medications commonly used to treat COVID-19 patients have various cardiovascular side effects. We aim to provide a succinct review about the pathophysiology and cardiac manifestations of COVID-19, as well as treatment considerations and the various adaptations made to the current healthcare structure as a result of the pandemic., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The pathogenesis of the COVID19 pandemic, that has killed one million nine hundred people and infected more the 90 million until end of 2020, has been studied by many researchers. Here, we try to explain its biological behavior based on our recent autopsy information and review of literature., Methods: In this study, patients with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) result were considered eligible for enrollment. Histopathological examinations were done on 13 people who were hospitalized in Afzalipour hospital, Kerman, Iran. Clinical and laboratory data were reviewed. Tissue examination was done by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy., Results: The most frequent co-morbidity in the patients was cardiovascular disease. The common initial symptoms of COVID-19 infection were dyspnea and cough. In all cases, the number of white blood cells was higher than the normal range. Common histopathological findings were variable degrees of vasculitis as degenerative to necrotic changes of endothelium and trafficking of inflammatory cells in the vessel wall with fibrinoid necrosis. Tissue damage included interstitial acute inflammatory cells reaction with degenerative to necrotic changes of the parenchymal cells. CD34 and Factor VIII immunohistochemistry staining showed endothelial cell degeneration to necrosis at the vessel wall and infiltration by inflammatory cells. Electron microscopic features confirmed the degenerative damages in the endothelial cells., Conclusion: Our histopathological studies suggest that the main focus of the viral damage is the endothelial cells (endotheliopathica) in involved organs. Also, our findings suggest that degeneration of leukocytes occurs at the site of inflammation and release of cytokines (leukocytoclastica) resulting in a cytokine storm., (© 2021 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has already been described, while clinical consequences to the fetus are still under investigation. This article reports a case of systemic fetal inflammatory response and pericardial effusion. As far as is known, this is the first case of fetal/neonatal cardiac complications related to SARS-CoV-2 infection., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We report COVID-19 multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in an adult patient with an atypical presentation (mild abdominal pain) and a negative (repeated) reverse transcriptase-PCR, in the absence of lung involvement on lung ultrasound. In this case, focused cardiac ultrasound revealed signs of myopericarditis and enabled us to focus on the problem that was putting our patient in a perilous situation, with a quick, non-time-consuming and easy-to-access technique. Serology test was performed and SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed more than a week after admission to the coronary unit. As the patient had a general good appearance, the potential implications of missing this diagnosis could have been fatal., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: This case report demonstrates pericardial effusion, acute pericarditis, and cardiac tamponade in an otherwise healthy woman who had a positive test result for coronavirus disease 2019. Few case reports have been documented on patients with this presentation, and it is important to share novel presentations of the disease as they are discovered., Case Presentation: A Caucasian patient with coronavirus disease 2019 returned to the emergency department of our hospital 2 days after her initial visit with worsening chest pain and shortness of breath. Imaging revealed new pericardial effusion since the previous visit. The patient became hypotensive, was taken for pericardial window for cardiac tamponade with a drain placed, and was treated for acute pericarditis., Conclusion: Much is still unknown about the implications of coronavirus disease 2019. With the novel coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, research is still in process, and we are slowly learning about new signs and symptoms of the disease. This case report documents a lesser-known presentation of a patient with coronavirus disease 2019 and will help to further understanding of a rare presentation.

Despite SARS-CoV-19 infection has a stereotypical clinical picture, isolated cases with unusual manifestations have been reported, some of them being well-known to be triggered by viral infections. However, the real frequency in COVID-19 is unknown. Analysing data of 63 822 COVID patients attending 50 Spanish emergency department (ED) during the COVID outbreak, before hospitalisation, we report frequencies of (myo)pericarditis (0.71‰), meningoencephalitis (0.25‰), Guillain-Barré syndrome (0.13‰), acute pancreatitis (0.71‰) and spontaneous pneumothorax (0.57‰). Compared with general ED population, COVID patients developed more frequently Guillain-Barré syndrome (odds ratio (OR) 4.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.09-9.90), spontaneous pneumothorax (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.40-2.79) and (myo)pericarditis (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.07-1.97), but less frequently pancreatitis (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.33-0.60).

The COVID-19 pandemic is a highly contagious viral illness which conventionally manifests primarily with respiratory symptoms. We report a case whose first manifestation of COVID-19 was pericarditis, in the absence of respiratory symptoms, without any serious complications. Cardiac involvement in various forms is possible in COVID-19. We present a case where pericarditis, in the absence of the classic COVID-19 signs or symptoms, is the only evident manifestation of the disease. This case highlights an atypical presentation of COVID-19 and the need for a high index of suspicion to allow early diagnosis and limit spread by isolation., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Importance: Virus infection has been widely described as one of the most common causes of myocarditis. However, less is known about the cardiac involvement as a complication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection., Objective: To describe the presentation of acute myocardial inflammation in a patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who recovered from the influenzalike syndrome and developed fatigue and signs and symptoms of heart failure a week after upper respiratory tract symptoms., Design, Setting, and Participant: This case report describes an otherwise healthy 53-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to the cardiac care unit in March 2020 for acute myopericarditis with systolic dysfunction, confirmed on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, the week after onset of fever and dry cough due to COVID-19. The patient did not show any respiratory involvement during the clinical course., Exposure: Cardiac involvement with COVID-19., Main Outcomes and Measures: Detection of cardiac involvement with an increase in levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity troponin T, echocardiography changes, and diffuse biventricular myocardial edema and late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging., Results: An otherwise healthy 53-year-old white woman presented to the emergency department with severe fatigue. She described fever and dry cough the week before. She was afebrile but hypotensive; electrocardiography showed diffuse ST elevation, and elevated high-sensitivity troponin T and NT-proBNP levels were detected. Findings on chest radiography were normal. There was no evidence of obstructive coronary disease on coronary angiography. Based on the COVID-19 outbreak, a nasopharyngeal swab was performed, with a positive result for SARS-CoV-2 on real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed increased wall thickness with diffuse biventricular hypokinesis, especially in the apical segments, and severe left ventricular dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction of 35%). Short tau inversion recovery and T2-mapping sequences showed marked biventricular myocardial interstitial edema, and there was also diffuse late gadolinium enhancement involving the entire biventricular wall. There was a circumferential pericardial effusion that was most notable around the right cardiac chambers. These findings were all consistent with acute myopericarditis. She was treated with dobutamine, antiviral drugs (lopinavir/ritonavir), steroids, chloroquine, and medical treatment for heart failure, with progressive clinical and instrumental stabilization., Conclusions and Relevance: This case highlights cardiac involvement as a complication associated with COVID-19, even without symptoms and signs of interstitial pneumonia.

Acute idiopathic or so-called viral pericarditis is a frequent and usually benign disease, although recurrences are frequent. Data strongly suggest the presence of underlying autoinflammatory and/or autoimmune disorders. It has been reported that there is an inflammatory response of the innate immune system typical of 'autoinflammatory diseases', predominantly mediated by interleukin-1 (IL-1). This may result from the activation of the inflammasome by a cardiotropic virus or a non-specific agent. The inflammatory response of the adaptive immune system, typical of 'autoimmune diseases'-mainly mediated by autoantibodies or autoreactive T lymphocytes-seems also involved as anti-heart or anti-intercalated disk autoantibodies were associated with a higher number of recurrences and hospitalisations. Current guidelines recommend that aspirin/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for a few weeks should be associated to colchicine for 6 months in recurrent pericarditis. In refractory cases, low-dose corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs have been proposed with limited efficacy. Growing evidences suggest a place of IL-1 receptor antagonists in the treatment of recurrent pericarditis. Many retrospective studies, one recent randomised placebo-controlled study and data of a real-life large international registry showed the good efficacy of anakinra with a good safety profile. Other IL-1 receptor antagonists showed promising results (canakinumab, rilonacept). However, IL-1 receptor antagonists' position in the treatment algorithm of recurrent pericarditis needs further evaluation in larger prospective clinical trials to replicate initial findings as well as to assess safety, cost-effectiveness and long-term efficacy., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: The typical factors precipitating diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) include infections (30%), cessation of antidiabetic medication (20%), and a new diagnosis of diabetes (25%). The etiology remains unknown in 25% of cases. Less frequent causes cited in the literature include severe thyrotoxicosis and, infrequently, pericarditis. Few publications have described the role of human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in endocrine and metabolic disorders. Based on a clinical case associated with several endocrine and metabolic disorders, we suggest a potential role for HTLV-1, an endemic virus in the Amazonian area, and review the literature concerning the role of this virus in thyroiditis, pericarditis and diabetes mellitus., Case Report: A fifty-year-old Surinamese woman without any medical history was admitted for diabetic ketoacidosis. No specific anti-pancreatic autoimmunity was observed, and the C-peptide level was low, indicating atypical type-1 diabetes mellitus. DKA was associated with thyrotoxicosis in the context of thyroiditis and complicated by nonbacterial pericarditis and a Staphylococcus aureus subcutaneous abscess. The patient was infected with HTLV-1., Conclusion: To our knowledge, this uncommon association is described for the first time. Few studies have analyzed the implications of HTLV-1 infection in thyroiditis and diabetes mellitus. We did not find any reports describing the association of pericarditis with HTLV-1 infection. Additional studies are necessary to understand the role of HTLV-1 in endocrine and cardiac disorders., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Acute pericarditis is an inflammatory disorder that contributes to chest pain admissions in the emergency department (ED). Nursing professionals can play a vital role in the differential, triage and management of acute pericarditis in the ED. First-line pharmacotherapy to specifically treat acute pericarditis of viral or idiopathic origin is paramount in improving patients' quality of life and reducing the risk of further recurrences of pericarditis and consists of combination therapy with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid [ASA]) or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), in combination with colchicine. Corticosteroids should not be initiated as first-line therapy in idiopathic (viral) pericarditis, as they increase the risk of recurrences. Nursing professionals are also pivotal in monitoring pharmacotherapy with respect to safety and efficacy. Overall, the nursing professional can facilitate timely administration and monitoring of medications, provide patient education, promote adherence, and assist in transitions of care for patients diagnosed with acute idiopathic (viral) pericarditis in the ED.

Background and Objectives : Recurrence of pericarditis (ROP) is an important complication of the acute pericarditis. The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of aetiology, clinical findings and treatment on the outcome of acute pericarditis. Methods : Data were retrospectively collected from medical records of patients treated from 2011 to 2019 at a tertiary referent heart paediatric center. Results : Our investigation included 56 children with idiopathic and viral pericarditis. Relapse was registered in 8/56 patients, 2/29 (7.41%) treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and 6/27 (28.57%) treated with corticosteroids (CS) and NSAID. Independent risk factors for ROP were viral pericarditis ( p = 0.01, OR 31.46), lack of myocardial affection ( p = 0.03, OR 29.15), CS use ( p = 0.02, OR 29.02) and ESR ≥ 50 mm/h ( p = 0.03, OR 25.23). In 4/8 patients the first recurrence was treated with NSAID and colchicine, while treatment of 4/8 patients included CS. Children with ROP treated with CS had higher median number of recurrence (5, IQR: 2-15) than those treated with colchicine (0, IQR: 0-0.75). Conclusions : Independent risk factors for recurrence are CS treatment, viral aetiology, pericarditis only and ESR ≥ 50 mm/h. Acute pericarditis should be treated with NSAID. Colchicine and NSAID might be recommended in children with the first ROP.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is one of the most commonly encountered mosquito-borne viral infections of humans worldwide with multiple reported outbreaks. Cardiac involvement is a known manifestation of the disease usually presenting as rhythm abnormalities, myocarditis, or pericardial effusion, which may be clinically asymptomatic. We describe a case of a 30-year-old woman who presented to us with high-grade fever, headache, retro-orbital pain, generalized maculopapular rash with bilateral pleural effusion, and hypotension. Dengue non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen and IgM antibodies were positive on admission, supporting a diagnosis of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Cardiac troponin-I was elevated on admission (65 ng/L) with diffuse convex ST segment elevations on electrocardiogram, suggestive of possible myopericarditis. Echocardiogram on admission revealed minimal pericardial effusion with preserved ejection fraction. Despite administration of fluids and inotrope use, the patient's hypotension progressively deteriorated over the next 6 hours, associated with decreased urine output and worsening sensorium. Clinical examination revealed muffled heart sounds and raised jugular venous pressure. A repeat echocardiogram confirmed an increase in the pericardial effusion manifesting as cardiac tamponade. Ultrasound-guided pigtail catheter insertion led to a prompt removal of the excessive pericardial fluid and correction of hypotension. Early identification of this uncommon but important complication of dengue hemorrhagic fever led to a good outcome in our case.

Classic "bread-and-butter" appearance of fibrinous pericarditis had been described in rheumatic disease and other immunologic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, post-myocardial infarct, uremia, tuberculosis, radiation effects, bacterial, and viral etiology. In most of the described cases, pericarditis occurs as a delayed complication. We present a case of a 21-year-old white woman who was seen in the emergency department to rule out pulmonary embolism for shortness of breath, chest pain, and lightheadedness. The autopsy showed a collection of serous fluid into the pericardial sac with bread-and-butter appearance. Microscopically, the pericardium showed acute inflammation with fibrinous exudates. Sections of the heart showed areas of lymphocytic infiltration with acute fibrinous inflammation of the pericardium. Vasculitis was seen in small blood vessels in the heart and was negative in other organs. No granuloma or necrotizing lesion was seen in microscopic sections of all organs including the heart, ruling out rheumatologic disease. The present study highlights the quest and design of an algorithm for a nonrheumatic disorder as the cause of pericarditis. Molecular studies were performed on heart tissue blocks for identification of cardiotropic viruses. Human parvovirus B19 was isolated from heart tissue blocks. The present case study highlights on updates in pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria for myocarditis along with the use of new molecular techniques for detection of idiopathic cardiomyopathies in a medical examiner setup.

Background: Acute pericarditis may occur frequently after viral infections. To our knowledge, influenza B virus infection complicated by pericarditis without myocardial involvement has never been reported. We report the first case of life-threatening pericarditis caused by influenza B virus infection., Case Presentation: A 48-years-old woman with trisomy 21 and ostium primum atrial septal defect was transferred from Cardiology to our Internal Medicine Department for severe pericardial effusion unresponsive to ibuprofen and colchicine. Based on the recent patient history of flu-like syndrome, and presence of pleuro-pericardial effusion, a viral etiology was suspected. Laboratory evaluation and molecular assay of tracheal aspirate identified influenza B virus. Therefore, the ongoing metilprednisolone and colchicine therapy was implemented with oseltamivir with progressive patient improvement and no evidence of pericardial effusion recurrence during follow-up., Conclusions: Especially in autumn and winter periods, clinicians should include Influenza B virus infection on differential diagnosis of pericarditis with large pericardial effusion.

Background: Idiopathic pericarditis is presumed to result from viral infection. The incidence rates of some viral infections have typical seasonal patterns. The data in the literature on a possible seasonal pattern of acute pericarditis are very limited. The mechanism and possible seasonality of recurrent episodes are not well established ., Hypothesis: The incidence of acute idiopathic pericarditis has a seasonal pattern., Methods: The computerized database of a tertiary, university-affiliated hospital was searched for all patients admitted with a first episode of acute idiopathic pericarditis between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015. Patients for whom a nonviral etiology for the pericarditis was identified were excluded., Results: The final cohort included 175 patients (75% male) ages 19 to 86 years (median = 50.0 ± 18.2 years). The incidence of the disease was twice as high during the colder half of the year (October-March) than the warmer half, peaking in the first quarter (January-March, P = 0.001). This first-quarter peak was observed in each of the 6 years examined. Comparison of the patients who acquired pericarditis during peak and nonpeak quarters yielded no differences in baseline characteristics, peak body temperature, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level, or frequency of myocardial involvement or liver enzyme elevation. No seasonal pattern was identified for recurrent episodes of pericarditis (n = 57)., Conclusions: Acute idiopathic pericarditis appears to have a seasonal pattern with a distinct late winter peak. No seasonal pattern was identified for recurrent episodes., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A 30-year-old man was admitted to hospital after complaining of a retrosternal burning pain, radiating to the jugular region, and to both upper limbs. An electrocardiography examination showed a ST segment elevation involving the lower-lateral leads. A trans-thoracic ultrasonography showed findings compatible with an acute myopericarditis. All performed serological testings excluded other recent infections with cardiac tropism. Among screening tests, a peripheral lymphocyte subset analysis was performed and an inversion of the CD4/CD8 ratio was found. Therefore, HIV testing was performed and proved positive for HIV-1 antibodies. The discovery of a primary HIV infection with involvement of a vital organ led us to start HAART. On day 20, our patient underwent a right heart catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy. During the following days, the clinical conditions of our patient improved, and a further heart ultrasonography documented a mild pericardial thickening as a result of the recent myopericarditis. Also the evolving changes of ECG were compatible with a benign evolution of myopericarditis. The histopathologic studies revealed a mild fibrosis of the myocardial right ventricular tissue, and inflammatory findings compatible with a recent myocarditis. At the real-time PCR analysis on bioptic sample, only HHV6 DNA and HIV-DNA were reactive. An immunofluorescence staining was performed to highlight the HIV p24 protein and a positive signal was detected in myocardial tissue. Considering the low avidity level of the anti-HIV IgG antibodies and the positivity of HIV-DNA in the endomyocardial tissue, we believe that the clinical manifestation presented can be referred to the recent primary HIV-infection.

Dengue fever is rarely reported in travellers returning from Africa. We report two cases of dengue fever in travellers returning from Burkina Faso to France. One of them presented a severe dengue fever with ALT > 1,000 IU/L and pericarditis. Serotype 2 was identified. The cases reflect a large ongoing outbreak with over 1,000 reported cases between August and November in the capital city. Clinicians should consider dengue fever in malaria-negative febrile travellers returning from Africa., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared., (This article is copyright of The Authors, 2016.)

Background: Inflammatory diseases of the heart (myocarditis, pericarditis) are commonly caused by viruses. Among the human cardiotropic viruses, parvovirus B19, Coxsackie B viruses, and adenoviruses play a leading role., Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the presumptive causative role of parvovirus B19, Coxsackie B viruses, and adenoviruses in the development of myocarditis, pericarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy by demonstrating the presence of specific antiviral antibodies or viral DNA in patients' serum samples., Materials and Methods: We tested serum samples collected between 2010 and 2014 from 235 patients with myocarditis (n=108), pericarditis (n=79), myopericarditis (n=19), dilated cardiomyopathy (n=7), and fever of unknown origin accompanied by cardiac complaints (n=22). The mean age of patients with the standard deviation was 33 ± 18 years. Serological and molecular methods (ELISA for specific IgM/IgG antibodies to parvovirus B19 and IgM antibodies to Coxsackie B viruses and adenoviruses, and PCR for detection of parvovirus B19 in serum samples, respectively) were used in the study., Results: Of all tested 235 serum samples, in 60 (25.5%) positive results for at least one of the three tested viruses were detected. Forty out of these 235 serum samples (17%) were Coxsackie B virus IgM positive. They were found in 17% (18/108) of the patients with myocarditis, in 15% (12/79) of those with pericarditis, in 16% (3/19) of those with myopericarditis and in 32% (7/22) in those with fever of unknown origin. The 63 Coxsackie B virus IgM negative patient's serum samples were tested by ELISA for presence of adenovirus IgM antibodies. Such were found in 4 patients with pericarditis and in 2 patients with fever of unknown origin. Every IgM negative sample (n=189) for Coxsackie B and adenovirus was further tested by ELISA for parvovirus B19 IgM/IgG antibodies. B19-IgM antibodies were detected in 14 patients (7.4%). The percentages for B19-IgM antibodies was 8% (7/90), 5% (3/63) and 31% (4/13) in the patients affected with myocarditis, pericarditis, and fever of unknown origin, respectively. Protective B19-IgG antibodies were found in 108 (57%) of the samples. A B19-PCR signal was detected in all the patients who were B19-IgM positive, and in only 1 patient with positive B19-IgG result, the latter presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy., Conclusion: The present study shows the involvement of Coxsackie B, parvovirus B19 and adenoviruses in the development of inflammatory diseases of the heart (myocarditis and pericarditis). It is the first ever study in the country that simultaneously analyzes the prevalence of the three major human cardiotropic viruses.

Primary varicella infection in an immunocompetent young adult is very rare, but it has a high mortality rate due to serious complications. We report a rare association of varicella pneumonia presenting in acute respiratory distress with mild chest pain, however with electrocardiographic and biochemical markers suggestive of acute ST elevation myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography was done to exclude infarction, serum antibody titers confirmed varicella, acyclovir was started, and ARDS was successfully treated with steroid pulse therapy and mechanical ventilator support. Early administration of antivirals and aggressive management of ARDS were thought to be necessary to overcome the potential life-threatening complications of varicella infection in adults. This case illustrates that not every MI is really MI., (Copyright © 2015 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A previously healthy 14-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with a 3-day history of upper respiratory symptoms and 2 syncopal episodes. She was initially febrile, tachycardic, and tachypneic; the initial electrocardiogram showed diffuse T-wave inversions and right atrial enlargement. There was no pericardial effusion on bedside and formal echocardiography; the latter, however, revealed a hyperechogenic pericardium. A viral swab was positive for influenza B. Treatment with intravenous rehydration and ibuprofen was started with good response. The patient went home 24 hours later with the diagnosis of mild pericarditis and syncope likely secondary to dehydration impaired diastolic filling.The incidence of acute pericarditis in previously healthy children is unknown. There are no known case reports of influenza B-associated pericarditis in the pediatric population. There is little high quality evidence to guide the diagnosis and management of pericarditis in children. However, limited data suggest that the typically described presentation of chest pain, pericardial rub, pericardial effusion, and electrocardiogram changes occurs in children. The pediatric population seems to respond well to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The varicella zoster virus (VZV) belongs to cardiotropic viruses, although the frequency of cardiac complications during VZV infection is low. Diagnosis of myocarditis or myopericarditis is rare during varicella - primary infection of VZV and sporadic in zoster - reactivation of latent VZV. Only few such cases have been described. The authors present a case of a 23-year-old male in whom clinical symptoms of myopericarditis developed a week after diagnosis of zoster that was localized in the left-upper part of the thorax. Retrosternal chest pain and fever were accompanied by ECG mimicking acute myocardial infarction. A dynamic pattern of troponin I release and slow normalization of ECG were observed. Serial echocardiography showed normal left ventricular function, transient changes in echogenicity of the interventricular septum and small pericardial effusion. In magnetic resonance imaging subepicardial and intramyocardial areas of late gadolinium enhancement were found. He was treated with intravenous acyclovir. No late sequels of the disease were observed., (© 2016 MEDPRESS.)

Idiopathic (viral) pericarditis is the most common form of pericardial disease in the Western world. Despite the combination of colchicine and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) plus aspirin (ASA), considered first-line therapy, the incidence of recurrent pericarditis is ~20-30%. In addition, secondary recurrence without optimal first-line therapy is ~50%. This is due to the many clinical challenges, such as inappropriate NSAID/ASA duration of therapy, the use of corticosteroid therapy, contraindications or intolerances to therapy, adverse effects, and issues related to adherence. This review describes contemporary pharmacotherapeutic management of idiopathic (viral) pericarditis, with a particular emphasis on the role of colchicine. Emerging therapies and management strategies, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein-guided therapy and novel immunotherapies, are also reviewed. Ultimately, understanding appropriate treatment will assist the clinician in helping decrease the risk of recurrent, incessant, and refractory pericarditis., (© 2015 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.)

Coxsackieviruses B (CV‑B) are known as the most common viral cause of human heart infections. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential role of CV‑B in the etiology of infectious heart disease in hospitalized patients. The present study is based on blood, pericardial fluid and heart biopsies from 102 patients and 100 control subjects. All of the samples were examined for the detection of specific enteroviral genome using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‑PCR) and sequence analysis. Immunohistochemical investigations for the detection of the enteroviral capsid protein, VP1, from the biopsies were performed. The samples were cultured on confluent KB monolayer cell line for possible virus isolation. The epidemiological data were also collected. CV‑B was detected in 28 of the 102 patients. The sequence analysis demonstrated that 27 strains were identical to CV‑B3 and only one strain was identical to CV‑B1. Furthermore, VP1 in the heart biopsies was detected in enterovirus‑positive cases, as revealed by RT‑PCR. Pericarditis infection was more frequent than myocarditis (P<0.05) or myopericarditis (P=0.05). The epidemiological data demonstrate that CV‑B heart infections occur mainly during autumn and winter, and young male adults are more susceptible than adolescents or adults (P<0.5). The present findings demonstrate a higher prevalence of viral heart infections, suggesting that CV‑B may significantly contribute to heart infections.