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Updated: May 17, 2026

Isolation and Functional Characterization of Human Ventricular Cardiomyocytes from Fresh Surgical Samples
Published on: April 21, 2014
End stage of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy with severe involvement of the interventricular septum
Maartje Noorman1, Judith A Groeneweg, Angeliki Asimaki
1Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Insights
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, caused by a plakophilin-2 mutation, affects the entire heart, not just the right ventricle. This case study highlights extensive fibrofatty replacement and interventricular septum involvement in advanced disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Genetics
- Pathology
Background:
- Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a primary inherited heart muscle disease.
- Typically, ACM is characterized by fibrofatty replacement of the right ventricle, leading to arrhythmias.
- Genetic mutations, such as in plakophilin-2, are implicated in ACM pathogenesis.
Abstract:
Detailed histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural analysis of the heart of a 56-year-old woman with end-stage arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy with a pathogenic plakophilin-2 mutation is described. The explanted heart revealed severe fibrofatty replacement of nearly the entire right ventricular free wall. The left ventricle was severely affected, and, most remarkable, there was massive involvement of the interventricular septum. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings of intercalated disks revealed areas with a heterogeneous distribution of connexin43 and focal electron microscopic abnormalities among these regions. This case illustrates that arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is not limited to the right ventricle but involves the entire myocardium, including the interventricular septum.
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