Coronary angiography in noncompaction with and without neuromuscular disorders

The prevalence of coronary pathologic findings in patients with left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT) is unknown. The study in a cohort of consecutive LVHT patients aimed to assess how often coronary angiography (CA) had been performed, if clinical findings and prognosis differed between patients with and without CA, how often pathologic findings of the coronary arteries were found, and if there were differences between LVHT patients with and without coronary pathologic findings.

Between 1995-2007 LVHT was diagnosed in 113 patients (mean age 53 years, 29% females, 67% neuromuscular disorders). CA had been performed in 52. Patients with CA had more exertional dyspnoea (79 vs. 61%, p < 0.05), angina pectoris (42 vs. 10%, p < 0.001), hypertension (44 vs. 25%, p < 0.05) and larger left ventricles (66 vs. 60 mm, p < 0.001) than patients without. No anomalously originating coronary arteries were found. Patients with coronary arteriosclerosis (n = 8) had more right-bundle-branch block than patients without (25 vs. 0%, p < 0.05). Mortality was 5.8% per year and did neither differ between patients with and without CA nor with and without coronary arteriosclerosis.

Coronary arteriosclerosis is rarely associated with LVHT and does not seem to affect prognosis.