COVID-19 Associated Myocarditis: Prevalence, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a pandemic and affected public health greatly. While COVID-19 primarily damages the lungs, leading to cough, sore throat, pneumonia, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, it also infects other organs and tissues, including the cardiovascular system. In particular, myocarditis is a well-recognized severe complication of COVID-19 infection and could result in adverse outcomes. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme2 is thought to play a pivotal role in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and immune overresponse causes overwhelming damage to the host’s myocardium. Direct viral infection and injury do take a part as well, but more evidence is needed to strengthen this proposal. The clinical abnormalities include elevated cardiac biomarkers and electrocardiogram changes and impaired cardiac function that might be presented in echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. If necessary, the endomyocardial biopsy would give more forceful information to diagnosis and aid in treatment. Comparisons between COVID-19 myocarditis and other viral myocarditis are also discussed briefly.