Slovo autora/About
Upozornění/Warning
Příběhy/Stories
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of myocarditis is one of the most difficult in cardiology. Meanwhile, there is no specific test that could diagnose it. A lot of tests are needed to make the diagnosis – ECG, ECHO, magnetic resonance, X-Ray, lab testing (troponin, myoglobin) etc. The diagnosis of the cause of the disease is very difficult. Cultivation and viral seriology, alternatively PCR are used. Mostly, the cause is not detected or it can be falsely negative. See this page for more information.
Life with myocarditis
The crucial part of the treatment and recovery is a strict resting regime and distinct restriction of physical and sport activities. The time of this regime is influenced by patient´s heart function. Minimal time of this regime are 6 months, even in patients without any observable heart function changes. Sometimes, a cooperation of physicians from different departments is needed during the recovery, mainly cardiology and immunology. Myocarditis is often sever and potentially a life-threatening disease, unfortunately sometimes fatal and because of this it should not be underestimated. See this page more for information.
What should be avoided?
Research
In this category, you can read news from the research of myocarditis in the field of pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. One of the latest news in the diagnosis in so called T2 mapping – see this page. Very discussed treatment possibility, mainly in patients with chronic myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathy, is interferon beta and also other treatment ways are tested. See this page for more information.
What do the Doctors Say?
This category concists of interviews and articles of physicians from different fields of medicine interested in the diagnosis, treatment and research of myocarditis. See this page for more information.
Causes
Myocarditis may be caused by a huge amount of causes – virus, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, toxins and other (mostly autoimmune) disorders etc. Mostly it is caused by viruses/bacteria etc. causing diseases of the resiratory and or digestive system. Frequently, “flu-like” diseases are observed before myocarditis itself, but it is not a rule. One of the most frequent causes are viruses – mainly enteroviruses, adenoviruses, parvovirus B19, human herpes virus 6, cytomegalovirus, influenza virus, Epstein-Baar virus and many others.
In some cases, myocarditis may be caused by a bacteria, very frequently by Borrelia burgdorferi, causing Lyme disease. If myocarditis is caused by this bacteria, it is called lyme myocarditis or carditis. Protozoa, parasites and fungi are causes of myocarditis mainly in the developing countries. Often causes of the disease are also some toxins, alcohol and cocaine. See this page for more information.
Groups of causes
Symptoms
Symptoms are individual and different in every patient. Most of the first symptoms are preceded by previous infectious disease, mostly of the respiratory system or alimentary canal. Symptoms, which are observed by patient, are mostly “flu-like” symptoms. They can have even unusually quick onset. The symptoms of the disease may, but may not, resemble a heart attack. See this page for more information.
