Monkeypox, the contagious virus that causes a blister-like rash, could cause heart problems, according to a new case study.
In findings published in JACC: Case Reports , doctors in Portugal described a 31-year-old patient with monkeypox who developed acute myocarditis about a week after his other symptoms began.
Clinical case summary A 31-year-old male patient with confirmed Monkeypox infection developed acute myocarditis days after the eruption of the skin lesions. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed myocardial inflammation. The patient was treated with supportive care and made a complete clinical recovery. This case highlights cardiac involvement as a possible complication associated with monkeypox. |
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"Through this important case study, we are developing a deeper understanding of monkeypox, viral myocarditis, and how to accurately diagnose and manage this disease," said the journal’s editor-in-chief Dr. Julia Grapsa. . The authors used CMR mapping, an imaging tool, to help with the diagnosis of myocarditis, she said in a journal news release.
Five days after the symptoms began, the man went to a health center with fever, muscle pain, and swollen lesions on his face, hands, and genitals. Doctors confirmed that he had monkeypox through a skin test.
Three days later, the patient returned to the emergency department complaining of chest tightness that radiated through his left arm. After an examination, doctors suspected acute myocarditis and admitted the man to the intensive care unit.
An electrocardiogram found abnormalities and laboratory test results showed elevated levels of C-reactive protein, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), high-sensitivity troponin I, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). All may indicate a stress injury to the heart, the researchers said.
A cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) study was consistent with myocardial inflammation and a diagnosis of acute myocarditis.
The patient fully recovered after a week and was discharged from the hospital. More research is needed to identify the relationship between monkeypox and heart injury, the authors said.
"This case highlights cardiac involvement as a potential complication associated with monkeypox infection," said lead author Dr. Ana Isabel Pinho, from the São João University Hospital Center in Portugal.
"We believe that reporting this possible causal relationship may increase the awareness of the scientific community and health professionals about acute myocarditis as a possible complication associated with monkeypox; and could be useful to closely monitor affected patients. in order to recognize other complications in the future. Pinho said in the statement.
Monkeypox has been spreading since spring in the United States, Europe and other regions where it was previously rare. It is transmitted through close contact with injuries, body fluids, or respiratory droplets from an infected person.
Symptoms, which can last two to four weeks, include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, respiratory symptoms, and muscle aches, in addition to the characteristic skin lesions. Most cases are mild.
The virus is related to smallpox, which is more aggressive. Health care experts recommend that people with a known case of monkeypox or suspected exposure get vaccinated.
In the United States, gay and bisexual men make up the majority of cases in the current outbreak, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
