Cardiovascular imaging in COVID-19: insights into features and complications

Abstract

The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 which mainly involve the respiratory system may however affect also cardiovascular system. There are a lot and still increasing numbers of reports revealing cardiovascular complications of COVID-19, which may occur in the acute phase as well as during longer follow-up period. The most clinically important diseases include: pulmonary embolism (PE), myocarditis, and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) as well as arrhythmias with the very common atrial fibrillation (AF) and pericarditis. In this review, we present cardiac imaging options in patients with and after coronavirus infection, showing potential utility for expanding and improving the full and accurate diagnosis of potential complications. We considered echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography (CT) in turn, highlighting their best advantages in patients affected by COVID-19.