Ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac arrest in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Two case reports
Yae Min Park1, Albert Youngwoo Jang2, Wook-Jin Chung2
1Department ofCardiology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon 21556, South Korea. ypruimin@gmail.com.
Insights
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). These cases highlight the need for careful consideration of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in affected patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is typically associated with a favorable prognosis regarding cardiovascular mortality.
- However, this case series focuses on the underrecognized risk of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in apical HCM.
Observation:
- Two patients with apical HCM experienced documented VF and sudden cardiac collapse.
- Neither patient met current guidelines for primary prevention with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
Findings:
- These cases demonstrate that apical HCM can present with life-threatening arrhythmias like VF and aborted SCD.
- Current guidelines may not adequately identify all apical HCM patients at risk for these severe events.
Implications:
- These findings suggest a need to re-evaluate risk stratification for SCD in apical HCM.
- Consideration of ICD implantation for secondary prevention is crucial in these high-risk patients.
Background:
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is considered to have a benign prognosis in terms of cardiovascular mortality. This serial case report aimed to raise awareness of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in apical HCM.
Case Summary:
Here we describe two rare cases of apical HCM that presented with documented VF and sudden cardiac collapse. These patients were previously not recommended for primary prevention using implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy based on current guidelines. However, both received ICD therapy for the secondary prevention of SCD.
Conclusion:
These cases illustrate serious complications including VF and aborted sudden cardiac arrest in apical HCM patients who are initially not candidates for primary prevention using ICD implantation based on current guidelines.
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