Pathogenic Variants Associated with Cardiomyopathy in Pediatric Myocarditis as Outcome Predictors

Abstract

Myocarditis in children and adolescents has different courses. Infants and young children suffer more frequently from severe heart failure. In adolescence, on the other hand, patients are more likely to present with chest pain and preserved cardiac function. At the same time, the recovery rate is significantly higher. The influence of disease-associated genetic variants in myocarditis is now widely recognized. Such variants are more common in younger children and in patients with severe heart failure and a phenotype of dilated cardiomyopathy. However, genetic changes have also been described in children with myocarditis and preserved cardiac function, particularly in desmosomal genes. These genetic variants are associated with an increased number of cardiovascular events. This review aims to provide an overview of the impact of genetic variants on the clinical presentation and outcome of pediatric myocarditis.