Pranas Šerpytis
Abstract
Summary
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle that manifests itself and progresses in different ways. The diagnosis of this disease is one of the hardest to give in cardiology. The clinical symptoms vary from non-specific (fever, muscle aches, dyspnoea) to immediate haemodynamic violation – cardiogenic shock and sudden death. Most often used laboratory (general blood analysis, myocardial necrosis markers) and visual (radiological, ultrasound) tests do not verify the diagnosis of myocarditis.
The endomyocardial byopsis is the golden standart in diagnosing myocarditis. However, the application of this test is limited due to possible complications. It is used only after assuring that the result of biopsy will have a significant importance on choosing treatment tactics. The importance of the cardial magnetic resonance imaging test is growing in diagnosing myocarditis. The disease is identified based on Lake Louise consensus on the cardial magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic criteria: clinically suspected myocarditis, oedemas, hyperemia and capillary permeability, signs of necrosis or a scar, visible changes in the second magnetic resonance imaging test, dysfunction of left ventricle, pericardial effusion. However, the validity of the cardial magnetic resonance imaging test in diagnosing myocarditis is still lower than that of the endomyocardium byopsis.
Currently, there are no widely-accepted criteria of myocardium diagnostics. A variety of clinical symptoms, non-specific signs in routine laboratory or instrumental tests handicaps the diagnosis.
Keyword(s): myocarditis, clinical forms, diagnosis, outcomes.
DOI: 10.5200/145
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