Medical College of Wisconsin
CTSICores SearchResearch InformaticsREDCap

Myocardial Strain for the Differentiation of Myocardial Involvement in the Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19-A Multiparametric Cardiac MRI Study. Tomography 2024 Feb 27;10(3):331-348

Date

03/27/2024

Pubmed ID

38535768

Pubmed Central ID

PMC10974260

DOI

10.3390/tomography10030026

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85188901578 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)

Abstract

Myocardial involvement was shown to be associated with an unfavorable prognosis in patients with COVID-19, which could lead to fatal outcomes as in myocardial injury-induced arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. We hypothesized that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) myocardial strain parameters are sensitive markers for identifying subclinical cardiac dysfunction associated with myocardial involvement in the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). This study evaluated 115 subjects, including 65 consecutive COVID-19 patients, using MRI for the assessment of either post-COVID-19 myocarditis or other cardiomyopathies. Subjects were categorized, based on the results of the MRI exams, as having either 'suspected' or 'excluded' myocarditis. A control group of 50 matched individuals was studied. Along with parameters of global cardiac function, the MRI images were analyzed for measurements of the myocardial T1, T2, extracellular volume (ECV), strain, and strain rate. Based on the MRI late gadolinium enhancement and T1/T2/ECV mappings, myocarditis was suspected in 7 out of 22 patients referred due to concern of myocarditis and in 9 out of 43 patients referred due to concern of cardiomyopathies. The myocardial global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains and strain rates in the suspected myocarditis group were significantly smaller than those in the excluded myocarditis group, which in turn were significantly smaller than those in the control group. The results showed significant correlations between the strain, strain rate, and global cardiac function parameters. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the value of multiparametric MRI for differentiating patients with myocardial involvement in the PASC based on changes in the myocardial contractility pattern and tissue structure.

Author List

Ibrahim EH, Rubenstein J, Sosa A, Stojanovska J, Pan A, North P, Rui H, Benjamin I

Author

Ivor J. Benjamin MD Center Director, Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Contrast Media
Disease Progression
Gadolinium
Humans
Myocarditis