Acute coronary syndrome or cardiac involvement due to leptospirosis: A case report
Leptospirosis is a globally prevalent zoonotic infection. Cardiac involvement in leptospirosis, including myocarditis, can be easily missed due to non-specific symptoms and concurrent multiorgan dysfunction. A 46-year-old male presented to the emergency department with weakness, fever, palpitations, and widespread joint and muscle pain. His temperature was 40°C, and his blood pressure dropped to 50/30 mm Hg. The patient, with elevated high-sensitivity troponin levels in laboratory findings, was referred to the cardiology department. Anti-ischemic treatment was started for a preliminary diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. The leptospirosis polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in serum was positive, whereas the urine Leptospira PCR test was negative. The patient presented with septic shock and elevated cardiac biomarkers and was re-evaluated based on electrocardiogram and echocardiogram findings. Considering these clinical and laboratory results, acute coronary syndrome was ruled out, and myocardial involvement due to leptospirosis was considered. This case highlights the importance of recognizing cardiac involvement in leptospirosis.
- Wang S, Stobart Gallagher MA, Dunn N. Leptospirosis. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing; 2022.
- Haake DA, Levett PN. Leptospirosis in humans. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2015;387:65-97. doi: 10.1007/978-3-662-45059-8_5
- Mathew A, Shanks M, Punnoose E, et al. Cardiac involvement in critically ill patients with leptospirosis: A prospective study using myocardial deformation imaging. Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2020;9(8):975-983. doi: 10.1177/2048872618809319
- Jayathilaka PGNS, Mendis ASV, Perera MHMTS, Damsiri HMT, Gunaratne AVC, Agampodi SB. An outbreak of leptospirosis with predominant cardiac involvement: A case series. BMC Infect Dis. 2019;19(1):265. doi: 10.1186/s12879-019-3905-7
- Shah K, Amonkar GP, Kamat RN, Deshpande JR. Cardiac findings in leptospirosis. J Clin Pathol. 2010;63(2):119-123. doi: 10.1136/jcp.2009.069575
- Swarath S, Maharaj N, Seecheran R, et al. Leptospirosis-ınduced myocarditis and arrhythmias. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2023;11. doi: 10.1177/23247096231179450
- Mehdaoui H, Caffiot E, Theodose R, et al. Characteristics of leptospirosis patients admitted to a tropical university hospital during the 2000 to 2010 period. Crit Care. 2012;16(Suppl 1):P40. doi: 10.1186/cc10647
- Machado ES, Feres JG, Feijó LA, Andrade J, Nogueira SA. Is CK-MB isoenzyme useful for diagnosis of cardiac involvement in icteric leptospirosis? Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 1995;37(5):461-465. doi: 10.1590/s0036-46651995000500013
- Lashkarbolouk N, Mazandarani M. Leptospirosis in a patient with cardiac manifestation: A case report study and literature review. Clin Case Rep. 2024;12(5):e8883. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.8883
- Guerra MA. Leptospirosis. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2009;234(4):472-430. doi: 10.2460/javma.234.4.472
- Costa F, Hagan JE, Calcagno J, et al. Global morbidity and mortality of leptospirosis: A systematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015;9(9):e0003898. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003898
- Felzemburgh RD, Ribeiro GS, Costa F, et al. Prospective study of leptospirosis transmission in an urban slum community: Role of poor environment in repeated exposures to the Leptospira agent. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014;8(5):e2927. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002927
- Agampodi SB, Karunarathna D, Jayathilala N, Rathnayaka H, Agampodi TC, Karunanayaka L. Outbreak of leptospirosis after white-water rafting: Sign of a shift from rural to recreational leptospirosis in Sri Lanka? Epidemiol Infect. 2014;142(4):843-846. doi: 10.1017/S0950268813001465
- Lokida D, Budiman A, Pawitro UE, et al. Case report: Weil’s disease with multiple organ failure in a child living in dengue endemic area. BMC Res Notes. 2016;9(1):407. doi: 10.1186/s13104-016-2210-4
- Rajapakse S. Leptospirosis: Clinical aspects. Clin Med (Lond). 2022;22(1):14-17. doi: 10.7861/clinmed.2021-0784
- Adler B, de la Peña Moctezuma A. Leptospira and leptospirosis. Vet Microbiol. 2010;140(3-4):287-296. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.03.012
- Pushpakumara J, Prasath T, Samarajiwa G, Priyadarshani S, Perera N, Indrakumar J. Myocarditis causing severe heart failure--an unusual early manifestation of leptospirosis: A case report. BMC Res Notes. 2015;8:80. doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1031-1
- Kragholm KH, Lindgren FL, Zaremba T, et al. Mortality and ventricular arrhythmia after acute myocarditis: A nationwide registry-based follow-up study. Open Heart. 2021;8(2):e001806. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2021-001806
- Yang B, de Vries SG, Ahmed A, et al. Nucleic acid and antigen detection tests for leptospirosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;8(8):CD011871. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011871.pub2
- Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/pdf/ fs-leptospirosis-clinicians-eng-508.pdf [Last accessed on 2024 Jun 24].