Tailored Planning of Surgical Myectomy in Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic myocardial disease characterized by abnormal thickening of the myocardium caused by myocardial disarray and interstitial fibrosis. HCM is associated with sudden cardiac-related events, such as ventricular fibrillation, tachycardia, and syncope. Moreover, left ventricular or midcavity obstruction due to the thickened myocardium can result in severe heart failure and mortality in patients with HCM. Surgical myectomy is a standard treatment option for patients with symptomatic obstructive HCM; however, it is a complex procedure that requires careful planning and execution to avoid complications, such as residual flow obstruction, persistent obliteration of the left ventricular cavity in systole, or iatrogenic ventricular septal defects. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the mechanics of HCM and precise evaluation of the location and extent of the hypertrophic myocardium to be removed are crucial for preoperative planning. Multiphase cardiac CT postprocessing is important for preoperative evaluation and planning of surgical myectomy in patients with HCM. In this review, the authors highlight use of multiphase cardiac CT with step-by-step postprocessing methods to simulate successful surgical myectomy. The transaortic surgeon's view on end-diastolic phase images accurately represents the surgical field. Moreover, myocardial segmentation can be used to generate volume-rendered images and three-dimensional printing. CT evaluation can also assist in identifying concurrent abnormalities, such as mitral valve or papillary muscle abnormalities. In addition to CT, other imaging modalities for preoperative evaluation of HCM and postmyectomy evaluation methods are presented. ^©RSNA, 2023 Test Your Knowledge questions in the supplemental material and the slide presentation from the RSNA Annual Meeting are available for this article.