Speckle tracking echocardiography in acute myocarditis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Echocardiography

Background:

• Acute myocarditis diagnosis can be challenging.
• Early prognostic markers are crucial for managing patients.
• Left ventricular function assessment is vital in cardiac conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) for diagnosing acute myocarditis.
• To evaluate STE as a prognostic tool for adverse cardiac events in acute myocarditis patients.
• To determine the utility of STE in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study comparing 45 acute myocarditis patients with 83 healthy controls.
• Utilized 2D speckle tracking echocardiography to measure circumferential and longitudinal strain and strain rate.
• Analyzed diagnostic accuracy using receiver operating characteristic curves and prognostic value using hazard ratios.

Main Results:

• Myocarditis patients exhibited significantly lower strain and strain rate values compared to controls (P < .001).
• Longitudinal strain demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.93, sensitivity 78%, specificity 93%).
• Declines in strain and strain rate were associated with increased risk of future cardiac events (HRs > 1.2).

Conclusions:

• 2D STE is a valuable tool for diagnosing acute myocarditis.
• Left ventricular strain and strain rate measurements are significant predictors of prognosis in acute myocarditis.
• STE can identify patients at risk for deterioration and adverse events, even with preserved ejection fraction.