Published online May 6, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i13.4214
Peer-review started: September 11, 2021
First decision: October 25, 2021
Revised: November 3, 2021
Accepted: March 15, 2022
Article in press: March 15, 2022
Published online: May 6, 2022
Myocardial calcification is a rare complication in critically ill patients. The prognosis of myocardial calcifications in critically ill patients is very poor if not treated in a timely manner. We describe a rare case of acute extensive myocardial calcifications due to acute myocarditis after receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support.
We report a 17-year-old male patient who developed extensive myocardial calcifications while receiving prolonged ECMO support for severe myocarditis and cardiogenic shock. Extensive myocardial calcifications were confirmed by chest computed tomography (CT). Myocardial calcifications were observed in the left ventricle walls on CT examination 10 days after admission. The patient was then discharged with heart function class II on the NYHA classification. Two years later, the patient was still alive with adequate quality of life. We then included this patient and 7 other cases retrieved from the PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and MEDLINE databases in our study, in order to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Multiple causes including prolonged hemodynamic failure, profound acidosis, high vasopressor doses, and acute renal failure may jointly lead to extensive myocardial calcifications. The precise role of ECMO support in the timing and frequency of acute myocardial calcifications deserves further investigation.
Core Tip: We report a 17-year-old male patient who developed extensive myocardial calcifications while receiving prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO) support for severe myocarditis and cardiogenic shock. Extensive myocardial calcifications were confirmed by chest computed tomography. The precise role of ECMO support in the timing and frequency of acute myocardial calcifications deserves further investigation.