Related Experiment Videos
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis with contrast-enhanced echocardiography--a case report
Esmeray Acartürk1, Abdi Bozkurt, Yurdaer Dönmez
1Cukurova University, School of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Adana, Turkey. kanarya@mail.cu.edu.tr
Insights
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a rare heart condition. Contrast-enhanced echocardiography aids in diagnosing this condition, which can mimic ischemic heart disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a distinct variant of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- It is characterized by a unique spade-like configuration on left ventriculography.
- Diagnosis can be challenging, potentially mimicking apical akinesia or thrombus, especially with poor acoustic windows.
Observation:
- A 50-year-old woman presented with symptoms suggestive of ischemic heart disease, including typical angina and specific electrocardiogram (ECG) findings (T wave inversion in V3-V6, II, III, aVF) alongside left ventricular hypertrophy.
- Initial diagnostic evaluations were complicated by the patient's acoustic window limitations.
Findings:
- Contrast-enhanced echocardiography proved effective in diagnosing apical HCM.
- The diagnosis was definitively confirmed by identifying the characteristic spade-like morphology on left ventriculography.
Implications:
- Apical HCM should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with symptoms and ECG patterns resembling ischemic heart disease.
- Contrast-enhanced echocardiography is highlighted as a reliable and straightforward diagnostic method for apical HCM.
Abstract:
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a rare form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) recognized by a unique spadelike configuration on the left ventriculogram. Two-dimensional echocardiography is another useful tool in the diagnosis of this condition. The diagnosis may be difficult and may mimic akinesia or apical thrombus in some patients with poor acoustic windows. A 50-year-old woman with typical angina and left ventricular hypertrophy with T wave inversion in leads V3-V6, II, III and aVF is presented. Apical HCM was diagnosed with contrast-enhanced echocardiography and confirmed by finding a spadelike configuration on the left ventriculogram. Apical HCM should be considered in patients in whom symptoms and ECG findings mimic ischemic heart disease. Contrast-enhanced echocardiography is a reliable and simple method in the diagnosis of apical HCM.