Supervisors info:
Κυρίτση Ελένη, Ομότιμη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΠΑΔΑ
Τούσουλης Δημήτριος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Τοτούζας Κωνσταντίνος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Myocarditis is the inflammatory reaction of the myocardium
motivated by a variety of infectious or non-infectious causes and diagnosed by
histological, immunological and immunohistochemical criteria. Myocarditis is one of the
leading causes of sudden death.
Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the morphological and
functional changes in the heart of patients with myocarditis undergoing MRI.
Material & Methods: The study sample consisted of 34 patients with
myocarditis attending a specific private treatment center and undergoing cardiac MRI.
Results: The study sample consisted of 34 subjects with myocarditis of which
most of them 82% were male. 32.4% of the sample had mild myocarditis and 67.6%
had acute myocarditis. Concomitant disease was reported by the 29.4%. 47.1%
reported precordial pain and fever and 52.9% reported precordial and chest pain.
Fibrosis was reported by 17.6%.
People with mild myocarditis had higher cholesterol values, but within normal
limits, (p=0.018), also the same group had higher LDL values with a borderline
statistically significant difference, (p=0.052), as well as a lower degree of edema,
(p<0.001). MRI found that subjects with acute myocarditis had a greater degree of
edema (p<0.001). A positive correlation was found between BMI and left ventricular
systolic diameter, degree of edema and a negative correlation with ejection fraction,
(p<0.001, p=0.025, and p<0.001), respectively. We also found a positive correlation of
the left ventricular systolic diameter with the left ventricular diastolic diameter, the
telodiastolic and the telosystolic volume and a negative correlation with the ejection
fraction, (p<0.001), respectively. The diastolic diameter had a positive correlation with
the telodiastolic and telosystolic volume, (p<0.001), respectively. Finally, a positive
correlation was found between the telosystolic and the telodiastolic volume, and a
negative correlation was found between the ejection fraction and the degree of edema,
(p=0.016).
Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated, with the help of MRI,
morphological and functional disturbances of the heart that contribute to better
diagnosis and management of the disease.
Keywords:
Morphological, Functional, Myocarditis, Magnetic Resonance imaging
