Could you please share with us some information about your professional life?

In 1999, I have successfully graduated from the 2nd Medical School of Charles University in Prague. After studies, I have spent a year as a PhD student on the Department of Medical Informatics and afterwards, I have spent 1,5 years on the substitute “civilian” military service. Then, in 2002, I have commenced in the Department of Radiology of the 2nd Medical School of Charles University and Motol Hospital. Except the 2-year intermezzo, when I have worked in a hospital in southern Scotland (Dufries, 2012-2014), I am a doctor on the Department of Radiology in Motol Hospital up to now.

What is currently the significance of cardiac magnetic resonance in the diagnosis of myocarditis?

Magnetic resonance is not absolutely necessary for the diagnosis of myocarditis, however, its importance is increasing gradually. Firstly, it can help to distinguish myocarditis from other diseases of the heart muscle. Secondly, it can display, if there is just an inflammation in the myocardium or if it happened, that irreversibly damaged heart muscle cells have been replaced by a scar. Furthermore, magnetic resonance is a reliable method for the evaluation of the heart ventricles function which is often decreased in myocarditis.

What benefits it brings?

The biggest advantage of the magnetic resonance is that it is non-invasive and without radiation load. Thanks to the fact that it determines the localization of the biggest damage to the heart muscle, it can help during invasive sampling of the heart muscle tissue (endomyocardial biopsy) if this examination is necessary. Further, the extent of the damaged displayed on magnetic resonance helps to determine prognosis, so what will be the progress of the disease. When the magnetic resonance examination is repeated, this progress may be evaluated.

A news in the magnetic resonance is so-called T2-mapping. Could you please tell us more about that?

T2 and also T1 mapping are not completely new methods, however their significance and utilization in heart imaging increases. Mapping is based on basic parameters of magnetic resonance imaging and it enables qualitative evaluation with the determination of T1 and T2 relaxing times in the certain tissue. These parameters are different in the healthy and sick myocardium. In recent years, a number of scientific studies using this mapping for the evaluation of myocarditis increases. T2 mapping is useful primarily for the situation, where oedema of the myocardium is diffuse (equally in the heart muscle) and it is difficult to evaluate it clearly visually.

Is there also some other news in the diagnosis of myocarditis in the question of imaging methods?

Newly used and researched method is T1 mapping, which, as it seems, enables more accurate determination of fibrous changes including general ones, which are difficult to be determined by traditional methods like late enhancement.

What is your opinion about the website www.myokarditida.cz? Would you recommend it? Alternatively, for whom do you think it could be beneficial?

The version for public dealing with the issue of different diseases are quite common abroad and so there are accessible in foreign languages (mostly in English). Website www.myokarditide.cz are also in the Czech language, and therefore they could be and an important source of information for Czech patients and their relatives. Considering the extent and depth of information, there could be interesting not just for non-professionals, but also for medical staff which do not come often in contact with myocarditis.