Effectiveness and Safety of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Treating Acute Viral Myocarditis in Children

Acute myocarditis is a rare but serious life-threatening condition that can affect infants and children. Although research have shown limited efficacy for immunosuppressive treatments, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is considered a promising option for treatment.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IVIg for treating acute viral myocarditis in children. The researchers conducted a comprehensive search across five databases—PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science—as well as four trial registries for relevant studies. The review focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving children under 18 years with acute viral myocarditis, comparing IVIg treatment to no IVIg in terms of efficacy and safety.

The results revealed:

• The initial literature search yielded 9,524 records.
• After independent screening by two reviewers, only 73 citations were identified as potentially eligible; however, these were all non-RCTs or review articles. 
• No RCTs were found that specifically addressed the review question.

In summarize, there are no current RCTs that examine the efficacy and safety of IVIg for treating acute viral myocarditis in children. There is a compelling need for prospective randomized trials in this area.

Source: Jain L, Kaur D, Khalil S, Pradhan P, Malik M, Dogra S, Kaur K, Mathew JL. Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) in Acute Viral Myocarditis in Children: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Indian Pediatr. 2025 Jan 15;62(1):56-62. doi: 10.1007/s13312-025-3359-5. PMID: 39754433.