According to a case study published in the journal JACC: Case Reports, the researchers have revealed that a 31-year-old male with confirmed monkeypox infection developed acute myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) approximately one week following the onset of monkeypox symptoms. According to the case study, the patient visited a health clinic five days following the onset of monkeypox symptoms, including malaise, myalgia, fever, and multiple swollen lesions on the face, hands, and genitalia, followed by a PCR swab test that confirmed the monkeypox infection. However, after three days, the patient returned to the emergency department, reporting chest tightness radiating through the left arm.

Myocarditis was previously associated with smallpox infection, a more aggressive virus, and the case study authors stated that, by extrapolation, the monkeypox virus could have tropism for myocardium tissue or cause immune-mediated injury to the heart. Dr. Grapsa, editor-in-chief of JACC: Case Reports, added that through this important case study, they are trying to develop a deeper understanding of monkeypox, viral myocarditis, and how to accurately diagnose and manage this disease. She added that the authors of the study have used CMR mapping, a comprehensive imaging tool, to help with the diagnosis of myocarditis and have presented a valuable clinical case during a critical time as monkeypox continues to spread globally.

The lead author of the study, Ana Isabel Pinho, from the department of cardiology at Sao Joao University Hospital Centre in Portugal and the lead author of the study, stated that the case highlights cardiac involvement as a potential complication. The patient was discharged after one week with a full recovery. On the other hand, the author of the study added that further research is needed to identify the relationship between monkeypox and heart injury.

(Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/monkeypox-linked-to-acute-heart-problem-in-1st-case-study-428223 )