Cardiac magnetic resonance in histologically proven eosinophilic myocarditis

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) is a life-threatening acute heart disease. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) excels in the assessment of myocardial diseases but CMR studies of EM are limited. We aimed to describe CMR findings in histologically proven EM.

METHODS: Patients with histologically proven EM seen at an academic center from 2000 through 2020 were identified. Of the 28 patients ascertained, 15 had undergone CMR for diagnosis and constitute our study cohort.

RESULTS: The patients, aged 51 ± 17 years, presented with fever (53%), dyspnea (47%), chest pain (53%), heart block (20%), and blood eosinophilia (60%). On CMR, all 15 patients had myocardial edema with 10 of them (67%) having abnormally high left ventricular (LV) mass as well. LV ejection fraction measured < 50% in 11 patients (73%) and < 30% in 2 (13%), but only 6 (40%) had dilated LV size. Eight patients (53%) had pericardial effusion. LV late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was found in all but one patient (13/14; 93%). LGE was always multifocal and subendocardial but could involve any myocardial layer. Patients with necrotizing EM by histopathology (n = 6) had higher LGE mass (32.1 ± 16.6% vs 14.5 ± 7.7%, p = 0.050) and more LV segments with LGE (15 ± 2 vs 9 ± 3 out of 17, p = 0.003) than patients (n = 9) without myocyte necrosis. Two patients had LV thrombosis accompanying widespread subendocardial LGE.

CONCLUSIONS: In EM, CMR shows myocardial edema and LGE that is typically subendocardial but can involve any myocardial layer. The left ventricle is often non-dilated with moderate-to-severe systolic dysfunction. Pericardial effusion is common. Necrotizing EM presents with extensive myocardial LGE on CMR.