Noninvasive Multimodality Imaging in ARVD/C.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is a familial cardiomyopathy resulting in progressive right ventricular (RV) dysfunction and malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Although ARVD/C is generally considered an inherited cardiomyopathy, the arrhythmogenic nature of the disease is striking. Affected individuals typically present in the second to fourth decade of life with arrhythmias originating from the right ventricle.

Management strategy in 249 consecutive patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy referred to a dedicated program.

The likelihood of success of conservative management of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) and the predictors of failure of conservative therapy are not known. We therefore evaluated the efficacy of an algorithm for the management of symptoms and predictors of failed conservative therapy in 249 consecutive symptomatic patients with obstructive HC referred to a dedicated HC program for management in general or for septal reduction therapy (SRT) in particular. There was considerable practice variation in the extent to which conservative therapy was optimized before referral for SRT.

Diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia: proposed modification of the Task Force Criteria.

Background: In 1994, an International Task Force proposed criteria for the clinical diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) that facilitated recognition and interpretation of the frequently nonspecific clinical features of ARVC/D. This enabled confirmatory clinical diagnosis in index cases through exclusion of phenocopies and provided a standard on which clinical research and genetic studies could be based. Structural, histological, electrocardiographic, arrhythmic, and familial features of the disease were incorporated into the criteria, subdivided into major and minor categories according to the specificity of their association with ARVC/D.

Diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia: proposed modification of the task force criteria.

Background: In 1994, an International Task Force proposed criteria for the clinical diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) that facilitated recognition and interpretation of the frequently nonspecific clinical features of ARVC/D. This enabled confirmatory clinical diagnosis in index cases through exclusion of phenocopies and provided a standard on which clinical research and genetic studies could be based. Structural, histological, electrocardiographic, arrhythmic, and familial features of the disease were incorporated into the criteria, subdivided into major and minor categories according to the specificity of their association with ARVC/D.

Ventricular arrhythmia following alcohol septal ablation for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

We sought to assess the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and ventricular arrhythmia after alcohol septal ablation (ASA) for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. ASA is a nonsurgical alternative to septal myectomy for treatment of symptomatic, drug-refractory, obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The effect of ASA on ventricular arrhythmia risk is not well established.