A 15-year-old girl (with no underlying disease) was admitted with mild dyspnea, abdominal pain, nausea, and fever that had occurred for 2 days before admission. At the time of admission, vital signs were as follows: body temperature = 39.8°C, systolic blood pressure = 90/50 mmHg, heart rate = 120/min, and O2 saturation = 95% without oxygenation. Cold limbs and thready pulse were obvious through physical examination. Moreover, the ECG revealed sinus tachycardia and inverted T wave in lateral limb and precordial leads. Simultaneously, an enlarged liver (146 mm) and elevated levels of liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] = 176 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase [AST] = 120 U/L, alkaline phosphatase [ALP] = 170 U/L, albumin = 4.5 g/dl, total bilirubin = 1 mg/dl, and direct bilirubin = 0.3 mg/dl) were observed that were suggestive of acute hepatitis. The TTE indicated severe ventricular (RV and LV) enlargement and dysfunction (LVEF = 5%–10%), moderate mitral regurgitation, PAP = 35 mmHg, and mild pericardial effusion. The patient had a positive nasal and oropharyngeal PCR test for COVID-19, and the lung CT scan disclosed GGO as well as peripheral consolidations (Figure ). The patient was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics (meropenem [500 mg q8 h for 5 days] and doxycycline [200 mg/day]), corticosteroids (methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg/day), and remdesivir. Ten days after admission, the patient was discharged from the hospital in a stable condition with normalization of white blood cell (WBC) count and liver enzymes, and the TTE exhibited no change compared to the first examination. However, an LVEF of 20% and a dysfunctional and enlarged RV were observed by follow-up of the patient for 3 months. It is worth mentioning that the patient suffered from dyspnea during ordinary physical activities (functional class II).
An 18-year-old woman (with no underlying disease) was admitted with a sudden loss of consciousness, fever, and headache that had occurred for 2 days before admission. At the time of admission, vital signs were as follows: body temperature = 36.8°C, systolic blood pressure = 80/60 mmHg, heart rate = 110/min, and O2 saturation = 80% without oxygenation. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 11. She was intubated and treated with vasopressors. Also, rales were heard on pulmonary auscultation. Initial electrocardiogram (ECG) demonstrated sinus tachycardia (110/min) and low voltage QRS. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) indicated a small left ventricle (LV) with an end-diastolic dimension of 42 mm, a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 10% with global hypokinesis, a normal right ventricle (RV), and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), no pericardial effusion (PE) or thrombosis, and no significant valve lesions or dysfunction. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan revealed diffuse bilateral ground-glass opacities (GGO) and basal consolidations (Figure ). Moreover, the patient had a positive nasal and oropharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19. Laboratory findings are summarized in Table . The patient received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG; 1 g/kg), broad-spectrum antibiotics (meropenem [500 mg] and doxycycline [200 mg/day]), high-dose corticosteroid (methylprednisolone 1 g/day), and remdesivir for COVID-19. However, she died due to cardiac arrest (less than 24 h after admission).