Myocardial mapping: anatomy in the era of digital cardiology

Introduction

This artwork (Figure 1) presents a visual metaphor for contemporary cardiology, situated at the intersection of organic vitality and digital analysis. The foundation of the piece is an expressive, monochromatic sketch of the anatomical human heart, rendered with raw, dynamic strokes. The deliberate absence of color strips the organ of its literal, physiological fleshiness, likening the image to a scan from advanced diagnostic machinery.

Figure 1 Myocardial mapping: anatomy in the era of digital cardiology, 2026. Hand-drawn monochromatic sketch with digital processing.

Layered over this organic yet colorless base is a digital dimension, representing the advent of advanced digital cardiology and personalized medicine. Graphical artifacts, defined blocks, raw black marks, barcodes, and data streams transform the heart into a monitored, analyzed, and mapped flow of information. This transition from biological tissue to data-driven insights reflects the author’s scientific background in investigating myocardial pathophysiology and oxidative stress parameters in cardiac tissue (1-3).

This piece questions the nature of the human body in the age of bioinformatics and “Cardiology 4.0” (4). It illustrates that while modern medicine can reduce our organs to a monochromatic image and a set of digital data, the heart underneath—represented by the nervous, imperfect lines of the sketch—remains a living, fragile organ that cannot be fully captured within the rigid framework of binary code.

Author’s statement

Piotr Jan Bramora, PhD, is a researcher and academic based at the Wladyslaw Bieganski Collegium Medicum, Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa, Poland. His scientific work focuses on the intersection of oxidative stress and myocardial pathophysiology, with a particular interest in the biochemical mechanisms of cardiac tissue damage.

Beyond his laboratory-based research, he explores the visual representation of complex biological processes through digital art, bridging the gap between clinical science and medical humanities. His artistic practice serves as a tool for “visual translation”—transforming microscopic phenomena and binary diagnostic data into symbolic imagery. By integrating anatomical precision with digital abstraction, he aims to emphasize the human and emotional dimension of modern, technology-driven cardiology.

Acknowledgments

None.

Footnote

Provenance and Peer Review: This article was commissioned by the editorial office, Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy. The article did not undergo external peer review.

Funding: None.

Conflicts of Interest: The author has completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://cdt.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/cdt-2026-0141/coif). The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The author is accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

References

1. Bramora P, Zych M, Borymska W, et al. Effect of hesperidin on the development of oxidative stress in the heart of type 1 diabetic rats. Herbalism 2023;9:50-66. [Crossref]
2. Bramora P, Zych M, Borymska W, et al. Effect of silymarin on the parameters of oxidative stress in hearts in the course of diabetes mellitus in Wistar rats. Acta Pol Pharm - Drug Res 2022;79:901-11.
3. Bramora P, Borymska W, Zych M, et al. Effect of naringenin on oxidative stress in the heart tissue of type 1 diabetic Wistar rats. Acta Pol Pharm - Drug Res 2021;78:693-703.
4. Parise G, Ceravolo R, Lucà F, et al. Synthetic Artificial Intelligence in Cardiology: From Generative Models to Clinical Applications. Eur Heart J Open 2026;6:oeag026. [Crossref] [PubMed]