Clinical and pathological characteristics of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related fulminant myocarditis.

Abstract

The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly improved cancer treatment. With the increasing use of ICIs, ICI-related myocarditis has been recognized. However, an evidence-based therapeutic strategy has not been established because of the limited knowledge on ICI-related myocarditis. Here, we present four cases of ICI-related fulminant myocarditis (FM). Three of the four cases resulted in fatal outcomes despite aggressive treatment with mechanical circulatory support and immunosuppressive therapy with corticosteroids. Given the poor prognosis of ICI-FM, the establishment of rapid and adequate therapeutic interventions on the basis of clinical and pathological evaluation is imperative.