Assessment of cardiac involvement in patients recovered from corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) infection using magnetic resonance imaging

Cardiac sequelae after recovery from COVID-19 infection has not been well-established. Recent studies have used cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging to assess myocardial involvement or ongoing myocarditis in patients with prior COVID-19 infection.

The primary objective of this study was to identify the CMR imaging findings in adult COVID-19 recovered patients.

This was a single-center retrospective observational cohort study of adult COVID-19 recovered patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Patient demographics, CMR findings, blood marker results, and treatment received were obtained.

Of the 77 included patients, 42 (54.55%) were male, and the median age was 45 years. Only 6 patients had completely normal scans, making the prevalence of an abnormal CMR 92.21% (95% CI 83.5%–96.5%). All those with an abnormality demonstrated late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), and of these, 64 (90%) had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Thirty-four patients (44%) had evidence of myocardial edema. Among patients with myocardial edema and LGE, the median numbers of involved segments were 4 (range 1–16) and 7 (range 1–15), respectively. Myocardial edema was most frequently found in the mid inferolateral segment (53%), followed by the basal inferior septum, basal anterior septum, and basal inferolateral segments (each with 41%). Meanwhile, late gadolinium enhancements were most commonly located in the basal inferior septum (75%), mid inferior septum (80%), and basal anterior septum (73%).

Cardiac involvement, particularly edema and late gadolinium enhancement, affecting multiple myocardial segments were observed in a considerable number of patients recovered from COVID-19.

Type of funding sources: None.