Pneumonia and acute myocarditis revealing COVID-19 infection in histopathology

Abstract

Cardiac injury is a common condition among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and it is associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality. Since the first data analyses in China, elevated cardiac troponin has been noted in a substantial proportion of patients, implicating myocardial injury as a possible pathogenic mechanism contributing to severe illness and mortality. Physicians need to pay heed to the possibility of myocarditis in cases of COVID-19. We present a first possible SARS-CoV-2 associated myocarditis case, confirmed by autopsy examination. The overlap with acute coronary syndrome, acute decompensated heart failure should be taken into consideration in the current state to COVID-19 epidemics.

Keywords

• myocarditis
• heart failure
• coronavirus