Advanced Echocardiographic Analysis in Medium-Term Follow-Up of Children with Previous Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe hyperinflammatory disease related to SARS-CoV2 infection, with frequent cardiovascular involvement in the acute setting. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cardiac function at 6 months. Thirty-two patients diagnosed with MIS-C were enrolled and underwent advanced echocardiogram at discharge and at 6 months. According to the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at admission, the patients were divided into group A (LVEF < 45%) and group B (LVEF ≥ 45%) and the follow-up results were compared. At discharge, all patients had normal LV and RV systolic function (LVEF 61 ± 4.4%, LV global longitudinal strain -22.1%, TAPSE 20.1mm, s' wave 0.13m/s, RV free wall longitudinal strain -27.8%) with normal LV diastolic function (E/A 1.5, E/e' 5.7, and left atrial strain 46.5%) and no significant differences at 6 months. Compared to group B, the group A patients showed a reduced, even if normal, LV global longitudinal strain at discharge (-21.1% vs. -22.6%, p-value 0.02), but the difference was no longer significant at the follow-up. Patients with MIS-C can present with depressed cardiac function, but if treated, the cardiac function recovered without late onset of cardiac disease. This favorable result was independent of the severity of acute LV dysfunction.

Six-month multidisciplinary follow-up in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: An Italian single-center experience.

Background: A severe multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) related to SARS-CoV-2 has been described after infection. A limited number of reports have analyzed the long-term complications related to pro-inflammatory status in MIS-C. We evaluated multiorgan impairment at the 6-month follow-up in MIS-C. Methods: We enrolled 33 pediatric patients consecutively hospitalized for MIS-C and monitored for almost 6 months. The inter-relationship of patient's features and disease severity at admission with long term complications was studied by multivariate analysis. Results: Endo-metabolic derangement, cardiac injury, respiratory, renal and gastrointestinal manifestations and neurological involvement are part of the initial presentation. The most abnormalities appear to resolve within the first few weeks, without significant long term dysfunction at the 6-months follow-up, except for endocrine (non-thyroidal illness syndrome in 12.1%, insulin resistance in 21.2%) and neurological system (27.3% cognitive or psychological, behavioral, adaptive difficulties). Endocrine and heart involvement at admission represent a significant factor on the long term sequelae; however no association between severity score and long-term outcome was noted. Conclusions: The severity of initial clinical presentation may be associated to organ domain, however it is not related to long term sequelae. The prevalent organ restoration supports a predominant indirect immune-mediated injury triggered by a systemic inflammatory response; however a direct damage due to the viral entry could be not excluded. Eventhought our preliminary results seem to suggest that MIS-C is not a long-term risk condition for children health, a longer follow-up is mandatory to confirm this hypothesis.

Advanced Echocardiographic Analysis in Medium-Term Follow-Up of Children with Previous Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe hyperinflammatory disease related to SARS-CoV2 infection, with frequent cardiovascular involvement in the acute setting. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cardiac function at 6 months. Thirty-two patients diagnosed with MIS-C were enrolled and underwent advanced echocardiogram at discharge and at 6 months. According to the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at admission, the patients were divided into group A (LVEF < 45%) and group B (LVEF ≥45%) and the follow-up results were compared. At discharge, all patients had normal LV and RV systolic function (LVEF 61 ±4.4%, LV global longitudinal strain −22.1%, TAPSE 20.1mm, s' wave 0.13m/s, RV free wall longitudinal strain −27.8%) with normal LV diastolic function (E/A 1.5, E/e' 5.7, and left atrial strain 46.5%) and no significant differences at 6 months. Compared to group B, the group A patients showed a reduced, even if normal, LV global longitudinal strain at discharge (−21.1% vs. −22.6%, p-value 0.02), but the difference was no longer significant at the follow-up. Patients with MIS-C can present with depressed cardiac function, but if treated, the cardiac function recovered without late onset of cardiac disease. This favorable result was independent of the severity of acute LV dysfunction.