Outcome of patients with myocarditis according to clinical risk classification and cardiac magnetic resonance parameters

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease defined by precise histological, immunological and immunohistochemical criteria and characterized by a great heterogeneity of presentation. The early evaluation of the possible outcomes and long-term prognosis of patients with myocarditis remains a challenge for the cardiologists, with repercussions on the most appropriate therapeutic choices for the patient.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to analyze the outcomes of patients with acute myocarditis using the multiparametric integration of clinical, echocardiographic and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging data.

Methods

We retrospectively collected data from 127 patients admitted for acute myocarditis from 2011 to 2021 in 3 Sicilian hospitals. The main anamnestic information, risk factors and clinical manifestations at onset, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram including the global longitudinal strain (GLS) measurement and morphofunctional parameters at cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), presence of edema and delayed enhancement (DE) and myocardial segments involved were collected. Patients were stratified according to the classification proposed by the group of Trieste group in 2017 in high-risk, intermediate-risk patients and low-risk patients. The occurrence of adverse events during follow up in the 3 groups was evaluated.

Results

High-risk patients had a higher frequency of total adverse events (66.7%) compared to intermediate (14%) and low (16%) risk (p < 0,0001), while no significant differences were observed regarding relapses. Intermediate-risk patients had a tendency to develop events comparable to low-risk patients. At baseline, FE was 34.02 ± 12.98% for high risk patients vs 59.24 ± 3.82% low risk vs 58.41 ± 5.21% intermediate risk (p < 0,0001). The mean GLS was -16 ± 4.43 for high risk patients vs -19 ± 2.37 low risk vs -18 ± 2.06 intermediate risk (p < 0,0271). 78% high-risk patients, 72% low-risk patients, and 75% intermediate-risk patients had edema at baseline MRI (p < 0,0249). 90% patients with high risk,  85% patients with low risk and 97% patients with intermediate risk had DE at baseline MRI (p < 0,0001). In intermediate-risk patients, an association was observed between the number of segments affected by DE at baseline MRI and the occurrence of events (p <0.013). The number of segments involved by DE that, with the best sensitivity and specificity, identifies the subjects most likely to develop events was 2.5 [AUC 0.5; p-value of 0.24]. The sum of the segments involved by DE at MRI statistically correlated with the detection of a reduced mean GLS (p < 0.009).

Conclusions

 Our study confirms the usefulness of the clinical prognostic classification of the Trieste group. Intermediate-risk patients, who still represent a gray area from a prognostic point of view, have shown to have an overall good prognosis, not significantly different since low-risk patients. The extent of edema and the extent of DE at baseline are the major predictors of events.

Prognostic stratification of patients with low-risk hypertrophyc cardiomyopathy: the role of myocardial deformation imaging and myocardial fibrosis

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is associated with a high incidence of adverse cardiovascular events. Risk stratification for major cardiac events and management of HCM patients are still a serious challenge in cardiology. Current ESC guidelines recommend stratifying the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) at 5 years using a prediction model which evaluates clinical and echocardiographic criteria but this model does not include parameters of myocardial deformation at echocardiography and myocardial fibrosis at cardiac magnetic resonance.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive prognostic role of myocardial deformation imaging parameters derived by echocardiography (left ventricular global longitudinal strain GLS and PALS) and magnetic resonance parameters (extension of delayed enhancement DE) in a population of patients with HCM with low-risk of SCD, considering ESC prediction model.

Methods

We enrolled 166 patients, mean age 56.25 ± 16 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A complete echocardiogram and a cardiac magnetic resonance were performed. After a period of 2.5 years, adverse cardiovascular events were evaluated: number of ICD shocks and ventricular arrhythmias, occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) or other supraventricular arrhythmias, symptoms of heart failure (HF) and or hospitalizations, heart transplant and death.

Results

7 heart transplants, 8 deaths, 29 patients developed AF, 6 patients developed ventricular arrhythmias and/or ICD shock, 17 patients were hospitalized, 16 patients developed HF. Patients with cardiovascular events had significantly lower PALS values than patients without events (PALS 4.6 ± 2.6 vs 17.5 ± 3.26, p-value < 0.0001) and higher values left atrial volume (179 ± 81 vs 76 ± 37, p-value < 0.001); significantly greater DE extension (57 ± 20 vs 17 ± 19, p-value 0.0082), lower GLS and EF values (GLS 10 ± 3 vs 15 ± 4, p value 0.0033; EF p-value 0,0001). Patients who developed ventricular arrhythmias, did not show significant changes in EF (p-value 0.26), left atrial volume (90 ± 17, p-value 0.36) and PALS (18 ± 1, p-value 0.7), but they had significantly lower GLS values (5.7 ± 12, p-value 0.02) and a greater extent of DE (p-value 0.04). Patients with AF showed a significantly increased left atrial volume (100 ± 43, p 0.0034) and the PALS (10.8+ 5.9, p-value < 0.0001) was significantly reduced compared to patients without events; EF, GLS (-11.8 ± 8, p-value 0.08) and DE were not significantly reduced (14.8 ± 8, p-value 0.14). In patients who developed HF, both EF, GLS (p-value 0.035), left atrial volume , PALS (p-value < 0.0001) and DE (65 ± 22.5 p-value < 0.0001) were altered compared to patients without events.

Conclusion

Low PALS, reduced EF and GLS and higher DE extension and left atrial volume, appear to be prognostic factors in patients with HCM. PALS and left atrial volume are predictors of death, heart failure and AF. Low GLS and DE are predictors of ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure.

The long QT syndrome in pediatric age: prognosis and risk factor

AIM

Long QT syndrome is a rare arrhythmic disease with a low incidence in the general population. There are no sure clinical or electrocardiographic parameters that could lead to a correct prognostic stratification in patients affected by this syndrome. The correlation between the incidence of a sudden death or dangerous ventricular arrhythmias and the duration of QTc interval is still a controversial topic.

METHODS

Twenty nine children affected by QT long syndrome were admitted to the Division of Pediatric Cardiology of the Casa del Sole Hospital of Palermo (Italy). Their diagnosis was made by electrocardiogram (ECG). The average age of the patients was 7.6 years. The average follow-up was 4 years and three months. A therapy with beta-blocker was administered to all the children. During the follow-up of 4 year and three months, patients were genotyped. Twenty-three out of 29 children had at least one relative affected by the syndrome. Three of them had a familiar dead because of this syndrome and everyone had a duration of maximum QTc higher than the cut off (P=0.0002). All the people who died had not followed the therapy with beta-blocker. Patients with a maximum QTc recorded <500 had not familiar death by this syndrome.

RESULTS

Holter and echocardiogram recorded periodically during the observation did not show dangerous arrhythmic events. All children maintained a good health during the follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Although conducted on a small study population, the data analysis recorded during this study suggests that in patients affected by QT long syndrome younger than 16 years old undergoing a beta-blocker therapy the prognosis is excellent. The duration of QTc interval appears as a negative prognostic factor, although the beta-blocker therapy has been reduced considerably the incidence of sudden death.

Inefficiency of renin-angiotensin inhibitors in preventing atrial fibrillation in patients with a normal heart

AIM

Recent scientific evidence has emphasized the possible role of inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system in preventing arrhythmic relapses in patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation and co-existing left ventricular hypertrophy or left ventricular dysfunction.

METHODS

In order to verify the effects of these drugs on patients with a normal heart, we collected a series of 187 patients admitted to our division of cardiology for paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation. All patients underwent cardioversion (with antiarrhythmic drugs and/or by electrical cardioversion) and were discharged in sinus rhythm. Episodes of recurrent arrhythmia were recorded during a mean follow-up period was 2 years. Patients were subdivided into 2 groups according to therapy: group 1 comprised patients receiving renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, group 2 comprised those not receiving therapy with these agents. All 91 patients in group 1 and 76 of those in group 2 had hypertension. Among the 91 patients in the group 1, 55 were treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and 36 with angiotensin receptor blockers. There were no statistically significant differences in cardiovascular risk factors or antiarrhythmic drug use between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

In group 1, 83% of patients experienced <2 recurrences of atrial fibrillation during the follow-up period, while 17% had >2 episodes. In group 2, 86% of patients experienced <2 relapses during the follow-up period, while the remaining 14% had >2 relapses. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P=0.85). A subgroup analysis showed that treatment with angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, diuretics, and calcium-channel blockers brought no advantage in sinus rhythm maintenance.

CONCLUSION

In our sample of hypertensive patients with a healthy heart, treatment with ACE inhibitors showed no statistically significant advantage in the prevention of atrial fibrillation relapses.