Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is believed to have originated in the Hua nan South China Seafood Market in Wuhan and can present with a spectrum of clinical manifestations. We report the case of 24-year-old male patient who developed chest pain after administration of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and who was diagnosed with myocarditis on work-up.

Atherosclerosis is chronic disease, the prevalence of which has increased steadily as the population ages. Vascular injury is believed to be critical initiating event in pathogenesis of spontaneous atherosclerosis. Syndrome of accelerated atherosclerosis has been classically described in patients undergoing heart transplantation, coronary artery bypass graft, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. In contrast to spontaneous atherosclerosis, denuding endothelial injury followed by thrombus formation and initial predominant smooth muscle cell proliferation is believed to be playing a significant role in accelerated atherosclerosis. There is no universal definition of rapid progression of atherosclerosis. However most studies describing the phenomenon have used the following definition: (i) > or = 10% diameter reduction of at least one preexisting stenosis > or = 50%, (ii) > or = 30% diameter reduction of a preexisting stenosis <50%, and (iii) progression of a lesion to total occlusion within few months. Recent studies have described the role of coronary vasospasm, human immunodeficiency virus, various inflammatory markers, and some genetic mutations as predictors of rapid progression of atherosclerosis. As research in the field of vascular biology continues, more factors are likely to be implicated in the pathogenesis of rapid progression of atherosclerosis.

Aim. This study aimed to assess the role of echocardiography as a diagnostic tool in evaluating syncope patients with normal versus abnormal electrocardiogram. Methods. We conducted a retrospective study of 468 patients who were admitted with syncope in 2011 at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, Paterson, NJ. Hospital records and patient charts, including initial emergency room history and physical, were carefully reviewed. Patients were separated into normal versus abnormal electrocardiogram groups and then further divided as normal versus abnormal echocardiogram groups. Causes of syncope were extrapolated after reviewing all test results and records of consultations. Results. Three hundred twelve of the total patients (68.6%) had normal ECG. Two-thirds of those patients had echocardiograms; 11 patients (5.7%) had abnormal echo results. Of the aforementioned patients, three patients had previous documented history of severe aortic stenosis on prior echocardiograms. The remaining eight had abnormal but nondiagnostic echocardiographic findings. Echocardiography was done in 93 of 147 patients with abnormal ECG (63.2%). Echo was abnormal in 27 patients (29%), and the findings were diagnostic in 6.5% patients. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that echocardiogram was not helpful in establishing a diagnosis of syncope in patients with normal ECG and normal physical examination.

Introduction Cardiovascular complications related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) have led to the need for echocardiographic services during the pandemic. The present study aimed to identify the echocardiographic findings in hospitalized COVID‐19 patients and their utility in disease management. Methods We included patients who were diagnosed with COVID‐19 using polymerase chain reaction and those who underwent echocardiographic examination during their hospitalization. Results Altogether, 45 patients were evaluated. The mean age was 61.4 ± 12.2 years. Hypertension (n = 29, 64%) and diabetes mellitus (n = 25, 55%) were the most common comorbidities followed by congestive heart failure (n = 11, 24%), coronary artery disease (n = 9, 20%), and valvular heart disease (n = 3, 7%). Eight patients (18%) showed evidence of myocardial injury, as suggested by elevated troponin levels. Brain natriuretic peptide was elevated in 14 patients (36%), and 14 patients had left ventricular dysfunction in the form of reduced ejection fraction (31%). Right ventricular (RV) dilatation was observed in six patients, and five patients had reduced RV ejection fraction. RV pressure and volume overload were observed in three patients. RV thrombus was observed in one patient. Pulmonary pressure was elevated in 10 patients (24%). Conclusion Two‐dimensional echocardiography can be an important bedside tool for the assessment of cardiovascular abnormalities and hemodynamic status of COVID‐19 patients.