Long-term follow-up on cardiac function following fulminant myocarditis requiring percutaneous extracorporeal cardiopulmonary support

Fulminant myocarditis is a rapidly progressive, life-threatening disease with severe impairment of systolic left ventricle function in the acute phase. However, the long-term prognosis of patients who survive the acute phase with percutaneous extracorporeal cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) is not established. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the long-term follow-up on chronic cardiac function and long-term outcome. Twenty consecutive patients with fulminant myocarditis in the acute phase supported by PCPS were enrolled between January 1995 and March 2010. Echocardiography was performed at least three times; acute phase (within 3 days from onset), predischarge (days 3–30), and chronic phase (>6 months, 2.67 ± 2.19 years, mean ± SD). The clinical events were queried by their medical record and questionnaires. Eight patients (40%) died in the acute phase. The time course of ejection fraction (%) by echocardiography was 22.7 ± 9.8, 53.1 ± 7.2, and 57.2 ± 9.6 in acute, predischarge, and chronic phase, respectively. Diastolic dimension (mm) was 46.8 ± 7.4, 51.3 ± 2.9, and 50.4 ± 1.8, and systolic dimension (mm) was 41.4 ± 7.7, 36.8 ± 4.0, and 35.2 ± 3.3 in acute, predischarge, and chronic phase, respectively. There was no recurrence or admission related to heart failure during the follow-up period. The cardiac function of patients with fulminant myocarditis recovers rapidly during their stay in hospital. The cardiac function of predischarge patients remains unchanged in the chronic phase. The long-term survival of fulminant myocarditis appears favorable in the chronic phase.