Patterns of myocardial injury in recovered troponin-positive COVID-19 patients assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.
Tushar KotechaDaniel S KnightYousuf RazviKartik KumarKavitha VimalesvaranGeorge D ThorntonRishi K PatelLiza ChackoJames T BrownClare CoyleDonald LeithAbhishek ShetyeBen AriffRobert M BellGabriella CapturMeg ColemanJames GoldringDeepa GopalanMelissa J HeightmannToby HillmanLuke S G HowardMichael JacobsParamjit S JeetleyPrapa KanagaratnamOnn Min KonLucy E LambCharlotte H ManistyPalmira MathurdasJamil MayetRupert NegusNiket PatelIain PierceGeorgina RussellAnthony WolffHui XuePeter KellmanJames C MoonThomas A TreibelGraham D ColeMarianna FontanaPublished in: European heart journal (2021)
During convalescence after severe COVID-19 infection with troponin elevation, myocarditis-like injury can be encountered, with limited extent and minimal functional consequence. In a proportion of patients, there is evidence of possible ongoing localized inflammation. A quarter of patients had ischaemic heart disease, of which two-thirds had no previous history. Whether these observed findings represent pre-existing clinically silent disease or de novo COVID-19-related changes remain undetermined. Diffuse oedema or fibrosis was not detected.