Multidetector computed tomography findings of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia: a case report

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) is a heart muscle disorder characterized pathologically by fatty or fibrofatty replacement and electrical instability of the right ventricular myocardium. This cardiac entity leads to sudden cardiac death, syncope, recurrent ventricular tachycardia, and in some cases, heart failure in a younger population. Contrast angiography, echocardiography, radionuclide angiography, ultrafast computed tomography (CT), and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging are techniques used to diagnose functional and morphologic characteristics of the disease. CT is sensitive in detecting intramyocardial fat because of its low attenuation. Recently the advances in multislice CT (MDCT) have improved temporal resolution, which has increased effectiveness in providing morphologic and functional information. We present a case with ARVD evaluated through 16-row MDCT. Fatty infiltration was clearly demonstrated by 16-slice CT; thus, multislice CT may have a significant role in the assessment and follow-up of patients with ARVD.