Systolic left ventricular dysfunction in patients with clinically suspected myocarditis

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the features of clinically suspected myocarditis complicated by the left ventricular systolic dysfunction development. 93 patients with clinically suspected myocarditis were examined. The average age was 36.63 ± 1.15 years. In 43.01 % of patients the disease was accompanied by a decrease in left ventricular systolic function. In the group of patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction in comparison with those with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, a significantly lower proportion of men (75 % versus 81 %, respectively, χ2 = 9.3, p < 0,01) and a higher average group age (40.7 ± 1.87 versus 33.6 ± 1.3 years, respectively, p <  0,01) were revealed. The course of the disease in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction was characterized by a more frequent development of rhythm disturbances (65 % versus 43.3 %, respectively, χ2  = 4.3, p  < 0,05) and a higher heart rate at admission (94.5 (75‒100) and 85 (70‒89) beats per minute, respectively, p = 0.006). The structural and functional state of the heart according to echocardiography in patients with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction versus comparison group was characterized by larger heart chambers sizes, more pronounced violations of local left ventricular contractility, more frequent involvement of the right ventricle in the pathological process (56.3  % versus 22.2  %, respectively, χ2   =  6.4, p  < 0,05). The relationships between the left ventricular ejection fraction Весці Нацыянальнай акадэміі навук Беларусі. Серыя медыцынскіх навук. 2020. Т. 17, № 4. C. 452–460 453 and the patient’s age (r = ‒0.36), the value of the heart rate at admission (r = ‒0.32), the severity of heart failure at admission, the degree of impaired local contractility of the left ventricle, the degree of right ventricular function (TAPSE, r  =  0.58), the severity of myocardial fibrosis according to cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (r = ‒0.32) were revealed.