Myocardial fibrosis — a new component of heart remodeling in athletes?

Abstract

Studies on the myocardial fibrosis are a new direction in sports medicine. Much data indicate the formation of myocardial hypertrophy, as a natural myocardial response to systematic physical activity, while the fibrosis development in this category of people is not entirely explainable. Modern imaging methods, including magnetic resonance imaging, make it possible to identify different variants of subclinical myocardial fibrosis. The article discusses variants of myocardial remodeling and fibrosis formation, depending on the type of physical activity, its mechanisms, as well as early diagnosis methods applicable in pediatrics. Differential diagnosis of pathological conditions accompanied by myocardial fibrosis and possible treatment strategies are presented.

Keywords

• myocardial fibrosis
• left ventricular hypertrophy
• sports
• magnetic resonance imaging
• cardiomyopathy
• children
• diagnosis