Influenza myocarditis in paediatric patients

• Published in: Cardiology in the young Vol. 32; no. 7; pp. 1188 - 1190
• Main Authors: Dolader, Paola, Balcells, Joan, Gran, Ferran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.07.2022
• Subjects: Biopsy; Cardiac arrhythmia; Ejection fraction; Etiology; Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; General Cardiology; Heart diseases; Hemodynamics; Hemorrhage; Infections; Influenza; Influenza A; Ischemia; Kinases; Magnetic resonance imaging; Myocarditis; Patients; Pediatrics; Peptides; Polymerase chain reaction; Respiratory failure; Rhabdomyolysis; Viral infections; Viruses; Myocarditis; influenza; endomyocardial biopsy; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
• ISSN: 1047-9511; 1467-1107; 1467-1107
• DOI: 10.1017/S1047951121004777

Acute myocarditis is a rare but potentially fatal disease. Endomyocardial biopsy and histologic examination are key to an accurate diagnosis. Despite being an uncommon cause, Influenza A and B viruses are a well-documented aetiology. Myocarditis may complicate about 0 to 10% of influenza virus infections (0.4 to 5% in paediatric cases). The clinical presentation varies widely, from ischemic-like chest pain to fulminant myocarditis with acute hemodynamic compromise, requiring mechanical circulatory support, with high mortality in the acute phase. We report a series of paediatric patients with myocarditis due to Influenza virus, to emphasize the importance of considering this uncommon aetiology.