A Case Series of Diverse Cardiac Abnormalities in Collegiate Athlete with COVID-19: Role for Multimodality Imaging

Vanessa-Rose G Turpin; Kyle Goerl; Chen Hoe Chow; Carl J Ade

doi:10.1155/2022/3259978

A Case Series of Diverse Cardiac Abnormalities in Collegiate Athlete with COVID-19: Role for Multimodality Imaging

Case Rep Cardiol. 2022 Apr 8:2022:3259978. doi: 10.1155/2022/3259978. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Vanessa-Rose G Turpin¹, Kyle Goerl², Chen Hoe Chow³, Carl J Ade^{1

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Sciences, Kansas State University, USA.
² Lafene Health Center, Kansas State University, USA.
³ Cotton O'Neil Heart Center, Stormont Vail Health, USA.
⁴ Physician Assistant Studies, College of Health and Human Sciences, Kansas State University, USA.
⁵ Johnson Cancer Center, Kansas State University, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: Since the COVID-19 pandemic there is concern for subclinical cardiac pathology in the absence of clinical symptoms in collegiate athletes, we present 4 cases of abnormal left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), a "red-flag" for potential COVID-19 myocardial disease, following diagnosis with diverse abnormalities reported via multimodality imaging weeks into recovery.

Methods: Cardiac imaging studies consisting of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) were performed 10 days post-COVID-19 diagnosis and several weeks into recovery.

Results: Initial TTE revealed abnormal left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), an identified "red-flag" for potential COVID-19 myocardial disease. Further CMR imaging revealed potential recent/prior myocarditis in 1 athlete. Follow-up TTE several weeks later revealed a return to normal LVGLS. Conversely, 2 cases with normal CMR imaging had a LVGLS that remained abnormal >30 days into recovery.

Conclusions: These individual cases highlight the substantial differences in echocardiographic and CMR abnormalities between athletes with confirmed COVID-19.

Publication types

Case Reports