Imaging Findings of COVID-19-Related Cardiovascular Complications

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents with significant cardiovascular manifestations beyond respiratory symptoms.
• These cardiac issues are critical predictors of mortality in affected individuals.
• Clinical presentations range from asymptomatic cardiac findings to severe conditions like cardiogenic shock and sudden cardiac death.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the role of advanced cardiac imaging in managing COVID-19 patients.
• To explore the diagnostic and risk stratification capabilities of imaging in COVID-19 related myocardial injury.
• To assess the utility of imaging in identifying cardiac side effects of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinical presentations and outcomes in COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular involvement.
• Application of advanced cardiac imaging modalities (e.g., echocardiography, cardiac MRI, CT) for diagnosis.
• Correlation of imaging findings with clinical severity, mortality, and treatment/vaccine effects.

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular manifestations are common in COVID-19 and associated with higher mortality.
• Advanced imaging effectively detects diverse patterns of myocardial injury.
• Imaging aids in risk stratification and monitoring potential iatrogenic cardiac effects.

Conclusions:

• Advanced cardiac imaging is crucial for comprehensive care of COVID-19 patients.
• It enables early diagnosis, risk assessment, and management of cardiac complications.
• Imaging is vital for understanding the cardiac impact of COVID-19, its treatments, and vaccines.