2019 Volume 58 Issue 10 Pages 1459-1462
We herein report the clinical potential of Impella 5.0 support, which is a catheter-mounted micro-axial left ventricular support device, in a 39-year-old man with recurrent fulminant viral myocarditis complicated with profound cardiogenic shock despite inotropic infusion and an intra-aortic balloon pumping. Switching from these therapies to the Impella 5.0 device provided sufficient systemic perfusion with well-controlled left ventricular diastolic properties to facilitate a prompt recovery from profound cardiogenic shock. The patient was uneventfully discharged on the 27th hospital day. Given its effect of cardiac protection with sufficient systemic perfusion, the Impella device should be considered the first-line therapy for the treatment of fulminant myocarditis complicated with cardiogenic shock.