A case of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy with biventricular involvement
Filippo Brandimarte1, Alessandro Battagliese, Silvana Petronilla Pirillo
1San Giovanni Addolorata Community Hospital, Cardiology and Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Medicine, Rome. brandimarte.filippo@gmail.com.
Insights
A young adult experienced syncope, revealing advanced arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. This case highlights the condition
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Genetics
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic heart muscle disease.
- It primarily affects the right ventricle, leading to fibro-fatty replacement of the myocardium.
- ARVC can cause life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Observation:
- An 18-year-old male presented with syncope during athletic activity.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed T-wave inversion and incomplete right bundle branch block.
- Echocardiography showed severe right ventricular enlargement, aneurysm, and reduced systolic function.
Findings:
- Cardiac Magnetic Resonance imaging confirmed fibro-fatty replacement in both ventricles, characteristic of ARVC.
- An epsilon wave, a hallmark ECG finding, appeared after defibrillator testing.
- This presentation represented the initial clinical manifestation of advanced ARVC.
Implications:
- Early diagnosis of ARVC is crucial for preventing sudden cardiac death in young athletes.
- Advanced imaging techniques like Cardiac MRI are vital for accurate ARVC diagnosis.
- Subcutaneous defibrillator implantation provides effective arrhythmia management in ARVC patients.
Abstract:
We reported a case of a young adult male aged 18 years admitted in our institution for syncope during a basketball match. No previous symptoms were reported. Electrocardiogram (ECG) showed T-wave inversion in the anterior leads and an incomplete right bundle branch block. Surprisingly, a complete echocardiographic evaluation demonstrated the presence of severe right ventricular enlargement with significant wall motion abnormalities, apical aneurysm and reduced systolic function. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance was pathognomonic for a fibro-fatty replacement of both ventricles. We decided for a subcutaneous defibrillator implantation and, after inducing a ventricular fibrillation to test the device status, epsilon wave appeared on the ECG. This clinical scenario depicted an advanced arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy at its first clinical manifestation.
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