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Right ventricular dysplasia: morphological findings in 13 cases.
F V Lobo1, H A Heggtveit, J Butany
1Department of Pathology, Hamilton Civic Hospitals, Ontario.
The Canadian Journal of Cardiology
|April 1, 1992
Summary
Right ventricular dysplasia (RVD) is characterized by pathological changes including thinning and replacement of the right ventricle myocardium. Further studies are needed to assess its incidence and importance in sudden cardiac death.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Pathology
- Cardiac Morphology
- Sudden Cardiac Death Etiologies
Background:
- Right ventricular dysplasia (RVD) is a rare condition affecting the heart's right ventricle.
- Understanding its pathological features is crucial for diagnosis and understanding its role in sudden death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the gross and microscopic pathological features of right ventricular dysplasia (RVD).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective morphological case study.
- Analysis of 13 hearts from necropsy, explant, and ventricular tachycardia resections.
- Histological and electron microscopic examination of right ventricular myocardium.
Main Results:
- Hearts exhibited right ventricular hypertrophy and dilatation with myocardial thinning.
- Histology revealed absence or replacement of myocardium, with three distinct patterns identified.
- Predominant pattern involved myocardial replacement by fat and fibrous tissue; endocardial fibrosis was common.
Conclusions:
- RVD possesses recognizable gross and microscopic features.
- Etiology may be congenital or acquired (inflammatory, toxic, ischemic).
- Consider RVD in differential diagnosis of arrhythmia and sudden death.