Sustained ventricular tachycardia in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, midcavitary obstruction, and apical aneurysm
Neil K Sanghvi1, Cynthia M Tracy
1Department of Medicine, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC. nsanghvi@gwu.edu
Insights
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can lead to apical aneurysms in about 1% of patients. This rare complication may increase cardiovascular death risk, necessitating defibrillator implantation for definitive therapy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) affects 1:500 individuals.
- A small percentage of HCM patients develop midcavitary obstruction and apical aneurysms.
Observation:
- Presents a rare case of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with aneurysm.
- Etiology of apical aneurysm is unclear, possibly linked to fibrosis and ischemia.
- Patients with apical aneurysms may face a higher cardiovascular death risk than general HCM patients.
Findings:
- The lifetime risk of cardiovascular death in HCM is 2%.
- Apical aneurysms might elevate this risk.
- Medical therapy for this condition shows variable success.
Implications:
- Definitive treatment involves automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) implantation.
- Highlights the need for further research into the etiology and management of apical HCM with aneurysms.
Abstract:
The prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is estimated at 1:500 in the general population. Of these patients, approximately 1% develops midcavitary obstruction and subsequent apical aneurysm. We present a brief review of the literature on apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using a rare case-based example. The etiology for apical aneurysm development is unclear but is thought to extend from apical fibrosis and necrosis secondary to subendocardial ischemia. The lifetime risk of cardiovascular death in patients with HCM is 2%. However, the risk may be higher in patients with apical aneurysms. Definitive therapy involves implantation of an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator, since medical therapy has variable success.
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