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.
Abstract

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