Echocardiographic Findings in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with COVID-19: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Context: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 can involve multiple organs, especially the heart, in some children with prior COVID-19 infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines provide valuable case definitions for MIS-C, as utilized in this study. We aimed to identify and summarize the echocardiographic findings of MIS-C based on these case definitions. Evidence Acquisition: We performed a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. An additional source was also utilized to extend the identified records. The articles underwent a two-step screening process. Then, eligible articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. Results: We identified 33 eligible studies, recruiting 1,392 patients with MIS-C. Male patients were the majority, with 791 (56.8%) cases. The mean age of the patients was 8.3 ± 5.9 years, while 28.5% of the children were identified with underlying conditions. The most common echocardiographic findings were left ventricular systolic dysfunction (34.91%), valvular regurgitation (29.08%), pericardial involvement (22.58%), and coronary abnormalities (18.0%). Conclusions: MIS-C is a rare complication of COVID-19 in children. Early cardiologic investigations, especially echocardiography, can reveal manifestations, including myocardial dysfunction, coronary abnormalities, valvular pathologies, and pericardial involvement.