Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: histopathological features of sudden death in cardiac troponin T disease.

Background: Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are at increased risk of premature death; this is particularly apparent for patients with mutations of the troponin T gene. Myocyte disarray and interstitial fibrosis, pathological features of HCM, may be determinants in these deaths. The relation between genotype, pathological phenotype, and mode of death has not been explored.

Methods And Results: Seventy-five hearts with HCM were examined. DNA was available in 50 for screening of the troponin T gene. The macroscopic findings, percentage of disarray, percentage of fibrosis, and percentage of small-vessel disease were correlated with the genotype. A troponin T mutation was identified in 9 of the 50 patients, 8 of whom died suddenly. Patients with a troponin T mutation were younger (mean age, 21.0 years [range, 6 to 37] versus 39.1 years [range, 14 to 72]; P<0.0001), had more sudden death (P=0.02), and had lower heart weights, less fibrosis, and greater disarray than other HCM patients (mean heart weight, 380.3+/-105.4 versus 585.0+/-245.7 g, P=0.002; mean fibrosis, 0.7+/-0.4% versus 2.6+/-2.8%, P=0.001; mean disarray, 46.2+/-7.2% versus 24.1+/-15.9%, P<0.0001; and mean small-vessel disease, 11.7+/-14.6 versus 14.1+/-8.7, P=0.6, respectively). Similarly, patients with troponin T mutations who died suddenly had lower heart weights and greater disarray than patients who died suddenly with unknown genotype (ie, troponin T mutation excluded) (mean heart weight, 429.8+/-75.4 versus 559.6+/-204.43 g, P=0.04, and mean disarray, 40.1+/-9.4% versus 20.2+/-12.6%, P=0.002, respectively).

Conclusions: Patients with troponin T mutations had severe disarray, with only mild hypertrophy and fibrosis. These patients died suddenly and at an especially early age. We propose that extensive myocyte disarray in the absence of marked hypertrophy is the pathological substrate for sudden death in these patients.