Magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of myocarditis in children

Background: There is a need for the systematization, generalization and analysis of the structural changes of the myocardium, occurring in patients with myocarditis. This disease is rare; therefore, structured information in the field of radiological diagnostics is still insufficient within national publications. Aim: The study purpose was to determine the significance and specificity of changes observed in cardiac magnetic resonance images in patients with myocarditis, and to compare the obtained results with the literature data. Methods: 7 patients, including children aged 4 and 6, with a verified diagnosis of myocarditis were retrospectively examined. Results: The analysis of the obtained images revealed the most common changes related to myocarditis, such as myocardial edema, impaired myocardial contractility, increased delayed accumulation of the contrast agent. The pathophysiological mechanisms of the found structural changes were analyzed and described. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging is the most important non-invasive method for diagnosing myocarditis, which allows one to identify the lesion of the heart muscle, to assess the extent of its damage, to differentiate myocarditis from other diseases, as well as to assess the dynamics when evaluating the effectiveness of therapy.