- Monkeypox is known to cause mostly blisters and rashes, but new case reports indicate that the virus can cause heart problems.
- Monkeypox patients had to be admitted to the emergency department 8 days after symptoms began.
- Tests revealed that the patient had an inflamed heart, after which doctors diagnosed him with acute myocarditis.
As is the case with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as time goes on and the virus continues to spread, officials are becoming more aware of the possible symptoms and complications that monkeypox can cause. I will cover more.
In a report appearing in JACC: Case Reportsresearchers took a case of monkeypox, which may be related to acute myocarditis, which occurs when the heart muscle (myocardium) becomes inflamed.
This can be a life-threatening condition in more serious situations, but in this case the patient made a full recovery.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic virus. So it’s a type of virus that can spread between animals and humans.according to
Monkeypox has been around for decades, but cases were largely confined to various parts of Africa. started making news over the past few months.
Since then, monkeypox cases have continued to rise, with the CDC reporting:
A few
- rash
- blisters
- heat
- cold
- Malaise.
These days, the virus is often spread through sexual intercourse, but it can also be transmitted through other close contact.
The case report patient was treated after feeling sick for 5 days. According to the authors, a male patient reported symptoms of “malaise, muscle pain, and fever, followed by the eruption of multiple swollen, cord-like skin lesions on the face, hands, and genitals.”
A 31-year-old patient underwent a PCR test to confirm the monkeypox diagnosis and was then sent home. Three days later, the patient awoke in the middle of the night with chest tightness radiating to his left upper arm and went to the emergency room.
The authors report that at this point the patient still had visible monkeypox blisters, and doctors performed various tests to check for heart problems.
After the electrocardiogram showed abnormalities, the provider performed blood tests and found that the patient had elevated levels of C-reactive protein, creatine phosphokinase, high-sensitivity troponin I, and brain natriuretic peptide. Certain blood tests showed cardiovascular problems.
Between the abnormal ECG and irregular blood work, doctors performed a magnetic resonance exam of the heart and diagnosed the patient with acute myocarditis.
After spending a week in hospital, the patient recovered and was discharged.
Although the patient had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 two months before contracting monkeypox, researchers suspect that monkeypox disease may have caused acute myocarditis in this case.
According to the study authors, “Although there are few histologically confirmed cases of myocarditis, and viral myocarditis caused directly by SARS-CoV-2 has not been definitively confirmed, epidemiological It is inferred from the background.”
The patient had already recovered from COVID-19 and had persistent monkeypox symptoms, leading doctors to believe monkeypox was the cause of his heart disease.
Furthermore, the authors state that monkeypox is a virus that is closely related to other viruses that “have already established a direct or indirect relationship with cardiac tissue damage.” For example, smallpox is associated with cardiovascular problems.
“This case highlights cardiac involvement as a potential complication associated with monkeypox infection.” Dr. Ana Isabel Pinhothe lead author of the study.
“We believe that reporting this potential causality will raise awareness among the scientific community and medical professionals of acute myocarditis as a possible complication associated with monkeypox. [It] In the future, it may help us to closely monitor affected patients to further recognize other complications,” commented Dr. Pinho.
Dr. Pinho works in the Department of Cardiology at São João University Hospital Center in Portugal.
Armand Balboni, former staff officer of the US Army Institute of Infectious Diseases and current CEO of Appili Therapeutics, said: medical news today About case reports.
“This is an interesting case, but it is important to note that while myocarditis is rare, it is not unexpected in viral disease. Given the viral illness, we may already be on a watch list for patients showing signs of monkeypox. I don’t think it’s going to change who you are.”
– Dr. Armand Balboni
Jonathan Fialkow, M.D., chief cardiologist and deputy director of Baptist Health’s Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, also said: MNT About the case. His views are similar to those of Dr. Balboni, and Dr. Fialkow was not surprised that monkeypox patients experienced this problem.
“There is not much long-term experience with large monkeypox-infected populations, but all viruses are at risk of causing myocarditis, and the family of viruses in which monkeypox is found is known to cause myocarditis. I’m Fialkou.
“The absolute numbers are still low, and the risk of monkeypox doesn’t appear to be particularly high now compared to other viruses,” he reassured.
