The diagnosis and prevalence of myocarditis in athletes: a literature review

Abstract

Objective: To expose and analyze the prevalence and difficulty of diagnosing myocarditis. Methods: The methodological approach of this work proposes a compilation of bibliographic research with a qualitative approach and descriptive character through an integrative literature review. The databases used were the National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Virtual Health Library (VHL) and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The descriptors “myocarditis”, “athletes” and “diagnosis” were used. The criteria used were open access articles, articles published in English, Portuguese and Spanish. All original articles, clinical trials, randomized or non-randomized, case-control studies and cohort studies were included. In addition, the time frame of publication from 2017 to 2022 was an inclusion criterion. Results: A flowchart was constructed with the selected articles and their inclusion and exclusion criteria. An informative table was also made (Table 1) with the following information, authors and years of publication, number of individuals approached, gender of the individuals studied, age range and finally, if the individuals are athletes. Final considerations: Therefore, it is concluded that individuals over 16 years of age are the most affected by the disease, and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance is the exam with the best acceptance for diagnosis of the disease.