title: [Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy versus fatty replacement of the right ventricle. An autopsy case report].
abstract: We report an autopsy case of a cardiomyopathy characterized by fatty replacement of the right ventricular myocardium and compare its clinical and histologic characteristics with those of the arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. A 39-year old male died suddenly in a hospital room. He had an alcoholic cirrhosis with ascitis, but the clinical examination and the biology showed no abnormalities explaining the death. Histologically, in the right ventricle, large areas of cardiomyocytes were replaced by fat, but there was no fibrosis. In contrast, fibrosis is present in association with fat in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Fatty replacement of the right ventricle is likely to be a distinct entity. Right ventricular failure has been shown to be a possible complication. Sudden death is probably rare and is likely to occur when other arrhythmogenic factors are associated.
authors.affiliation: Service d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologiques, Hôpital Avicenne, 93009 Bobigny.
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hourseau
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fornès
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lagorce
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lefrancq
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology*; D001344:Autopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000473:pathology*