Acute myocardial calcification in a patient with fulminant myocarditis.

Abstract

Relationship with Industry: None A 38-year-old man was admitted with a 3-week history of rapid clinical deterioration. The patient presented with multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with multi-organ failure (white blood and polynuclear cells counts at respectively 54.40 and 51.60 *109/L; C-reactive protein, Ferritin and Fibrinogen levels at respectively, 214 mg/L, 1624 μg/L, and 8.31 g/L; and creatinine and bilirubin levels at respectively 397 μmol/L (4,49 mg/dL) and 57 μMol/L (3,33 mg/dL)). Large screening and multiple testing for bacterial and viral infections remained negative in a patient with Covid-19 infection 3-months earlier without vaccination. The patient was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit necessitating mechanical ventilation, hemodialysis, and inotropic support. Rapidly, diffuse ST elevation on electrocardiogram and increased levels of high-sensitivity cardiac I troponin (hs-cTnI = 135000 ng/L) and natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP = 72114 ng/L) were found. Coronary angiogram showed no significant coronary disease and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF = 40%). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed diffuse and extensive gadolinium uptake. Despite negative cardiac biopsies, the diagnosis of fulminant myocarditis was made and the patient underwent corticosteroids bolus and intravenous immunoglobulin therapies. Clinical evolution was deemed favourable with a progressive decrease in systemic inflammatory process associated with a decrease in cardiac biomarkers levels. However, 2 weeks later, chest X-ray (Panel A) and TTE (Panel B) showed acute and impressive left ventricular calcified remodelling process with diffuse epicardial calcification and septal patchy fibrosis (whites triangles). The positron emission tomography (PET-CT) confirmed the diffuse FDG uptakes suggesting persistent local inflammatory process (Panel C) associated with large epicardial calcified remodelling (Panel D). The patient was discharged 1 month after the index admission with optimized heart-failure therapy and planned follow-up at the Heart Failure Clinic.