Cardiac involvement in dengue infection

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Tropical Medicine

Background:

• Dengue fever is a widespread tropical disease.
• Organ system complications, including cardiac involvement, occur with varying frequency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on cardiac involvement in dengue.
• To understand the pathophysiology, manifestations, and potential treatments for dengue-related cardiac complications.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of scientific literature was conducted.
• Databases searched include MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus SciVerse, Google Scholar, and LILACS.
• Studies focusing on cardiac manifestations in dengue were included.

Main Results:

• Cardiac involvement in dengue is frequent and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality.
• Pathophysiological mechanisms include viral invasion, immune responses, electrolyte imbalances, and ischemia.
• Manifestations range from clinical signs to electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and enzyme abnormalities.
• Echocardiography is valuable for detecting myocardial involvement, especially in unstable patients.

Conclusions:

• Current knowledge regarding cardiac manifestations of dengue is limited.
• Further research is essential to elucidate the precise pathophysiology.
• More studies are needed to determine the efficacy of specific agents in preventing and treating cardiac complications.