Gill et al.: "Autopsy Histopathologic Cardiac Findings in 2 Adolescents Following Second COVID-19 Vaccine Dose"; Myocarditis in particularly teenage boys has been reported following 2nd Pfizer dose

The myocardial injury seen in these post COVID vaccine hearts is different from typical myocarditis & has an appearance most closely resembling a catecholamine-mediated stress (toxic) cardiomyopathy.

SOURCE:

https://meridian.allenpress.com/aplm/article/146/8/925/477788/Autopsy-Histopathologic-Cardiac-Findings-in-2?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

‘Context.—

Myocarditis in adolescents has been diagnosed clinically following the administration of the second dose of an mRNA vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Objective.—

To examine the autopsy microscopic cardiac findings in adolescent deaths that occurred shortly following administration of the second Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 dose to determine if the myocarditis described in these instances has the typical histopathology of myocarditis.

Design.—

Clinical and autopsy investigation of 2 teenage boys who died shortly following administration of the second Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 dose.

Results.—

The microscopic examination revealed features resembling a catecholamine-induced injury, not typical myocarditis pathology.

Conclusions.—

The myocardial injury seen in these postvaccine hearts is different from typical myocarditis and has an appearance most closely resembling a catecholamine-mediated stress (toxic) cardiomyopathy. Understanding that these instances are different from typical myocarditis and that cytokine storm has a known feedback loop with catecholamines may help guide screening and therapy.

Myocarditis in adolescents (particularly teenage boys) has been reported following the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.1–7  Since cardiac biopsies are rarely performed in these instances with clinically stable patients, the myocardial pathology has not been clearly elucidated.8  Myocarditis is rarely diagnosed at autopsy in deaths due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.9,10  The incidence of myocarditis, although low, has been shown to increase after the receipt of the BNT162b2 vaccine, particularly after the second dose among young male recipients.11  In addition, the first week after the second vaccine dose was found to be the main risk window.11  The clinical presentation of myocarditis after vaccination was usually mild.’