Orbach A, Ghugre NR, Biswas L, Connelly KA, Chan A, Strauss BH, Wright GA, Roifman I. Low Prevalence of Late Myocardial Injury on Cardiac MRI Following COVID-19 Infection.
J Magn Reson Imaging 2023;
58:1777-1784. [PMID:
36872614 DOI:
10.1002/jmri.28668]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of abnormal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings indicative of myocardial injury in patients who recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently unclear, with a high variability in the reported prevalence.
PURPOSE
To assess the prevalence of myocardial injury after a COVID-19 infection.
STUDY TYPE
Prospective, bicentric study.
SUBJECTS
Seventy consecutive patients who recovered from COVID-19 and were previously hospitalized. Mean age was 57 years and 39% of the patients were female. Ten healthy controls and a comparator group of 75 nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) patients were employed.
FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE
1.5-T, steady-state free precession (SSFP) gradient-echo sequence, modified Look-Locker inversion recovery sequence with balanced SSFP readout, T2-prepared spiral readout sequence and a T1-weighted inversion recovery fast gradient-echo sequence was acquired ~4-5 months after recovery from COVID-19.
ASSESSMENT
The SSFP sequence was utilized for the calculation of left and right ventricular volumes and ejection fractions (LVEF and RVEF) following manual endocardial contouring. T1 and T2 mapping was performed by pixel-wise exponential fitting, and T1 and T2 values were computed by manual contouring of the left ventricular endocardial and epicardial walls. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images were graded qualitatively as LGE present or absent.
STATISTICAL TESTS
T-tests and the χ2 or Fisher's exact tests were used to compare continuous and categorical variables respectively between the COVID-19 and NICM groups. Inter-rater agreement was evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient for continuous variables and Cohen's kappa test for LGE.
RESULTS
Reduced RVEF occurred in 10%, LGE and elevated native T1 in 9%, reduced LVEF in 4%, and elevated T2 in 3% of COVID-19 patients, respectively. Patients with NICM had lower mean LVEF (41.6% ± 6% vs. 60% ± 7%), RVEF (46% ± 5% vs. 61% ± 9%), and a significantly higher prevalence of LGE (27% vs. 9%) when compared to those post-COVID-19.
DATA CONCLUSION
Abnormal cardiac MRI findings may show a low prevalence in patients who recovered from COVID-19 and were previously hospitalized.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
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