Scientific Abstracts - Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Scientific Presentations-Evidence of Occult Myocardial Abnormalities Including Myocardial Strain in the Absence of Myocarditis in Asymptomatic Young Athletes after COVID-19 Infection

Evidence of Occult Myocardial Abnormalities Including Myocardial Strain in the Absence of Myocarditis in Asymptomatic Young Athletes after COVID-19 Infection

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Video Summary

Researchers reviewed cardiac MRI in 44 asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic young athletes after COVID-19 infection to look for myocarditis and strain abnormalities. No cases of myocarditis were found by Lake Louise criteria, and only 11% had nonspecific nonischemic late gadolinium enhancement, mostly at the RV insertion point. However, strain-encoded MRI showed abnormal global longitudinal strain in 43% of the 30 athletes studied with SENC, despite normal ventricular size and function. The significance of these strain abnormalities is unclear, and the study was limited by its retrospective design and lack of control or longitudinal data.

Keywords

cardiac MRI

COVID-19 athletes

myocarditis

global longitudinal strain

late gadolinium enhancement