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Published on: November 5, 2021
SARS-CoV-2 infection associated severe dilated cardiomyopathy in a 4-week-old infant
Mohammad Baidoun1, Mohamed Elgendy1, Dana Al-Maajali2
1Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, United States.
Insights
A rare COVID-19 complication, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), affects multiple organs. This review details a COVID-19 positive infant with severe heart dysfunction but no MIS-C.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a serious, albeit rare, post-COVID-19 condition.
- MIS-C involves inflammation across multiple organ systems, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.
- Early recognition and management are crucial for favorable outcomes.
Observation:
- This review presents a case of a 4-week-old infant diagnosed with severe isolated systolic dysfunction.
- The infant tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19).
- The infant did not exhibit symptoms consistent with MIS-C.
Findings:
- The case highlights that COVID-19 can cause severe cardiac complications in infants.
- Isolated systolic dysfunction can occur in neonates following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Absence of typical MIS-C criteria does not exclude significant COVID-19-related morbidity.
Implications:
- This case broadens the understanding of potential cardiac manifestations of COVID-19 in neonates.
- It underscores the need for vigilant cardiac monitoring in infants with COVID-19, even without MIS-C.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the pathophysiology of COVID-19-induced cardiac dysfunction in this age group.
Abstract:
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but serious complication associated with COVID-19. It can lead to an inflammatory process in multiple body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and the brain. In this review, we describe the case of a 4-week-old infant with severe isolated systolic dysfunction who was found to be positive for COVID-19. He did not have the multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) commonly associated with COVID-19 infection.
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