Q:
Good day, my 3 year old son was diagnosed with myocarditis after being admitted in the hospital for tonsilitis. Then after an xray they found he has pneumonia also. WE stayed in the hospital for 7 days. About four months back he had dengue fever. After a month he was admitted again for myocarditis and pneumonia. We went back to the pedia for a follow-up check up and she said that the pneumonia is cleared already.Then she gave PCV vaccine as protection. Is this ok. My son had fever for less than a day after the vaccine. Right now he is taking L-Carnitine 2x a day for the heart and Montelukast for his asthma, coz the pedia says he has asthma, and vitamins. His 2d echo shows normal heart size, except for a”slightly thickened mitral and aortic valves with trivial to mild mitral regurgitation”. The doctor didn’t say anything about this except for my son to do less running as he might collapse. What i’d like to know is how we can avoid the myocarditis from occuring again. And the regurgitation mentioned above, given time to heal, will it be back to normal or totally gone. My son fails to thrive as well.
I am hoping that your answers will clear up some of my confusions. Regards and happy new year!
A:
Most likely your son had a viral myocarditis. This can be a very serious and sometimes fatal illness, but in your son it sounds like he only had a mild form: there was no heart failure and his cardiac ECHO is essentially normal. I wouldn’t worry about his thickened heart valves, they function normally as well. The recovery from a serious illness such as myocarditis can be quite lengthy.
The Prognosis for patients with myocarditis is as follows:
1. 1/3 complete recovery
2. 1/3 improve clinically, but have residual myocardial dysfunction
3. 1/3 with chronic heart failure which may cause mortality or require heart transplant
From what you have told me, your son fits in category 1.
Hope this helps,
Dr T