title: Electrophysiological characteristics of septal hypertrophy in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and moderate to severe symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, regional hypertrophy, myocardial replacement scarring, expanded interstitial fibrosis, and myocardial disarray can be found. The electrophysiological consequences of this substrate have not yet been investigated. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the local electrophysiological characteristics of regional left ventricular (LV) septal hypertrophy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 9 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, electroanatomic voltage mapping of the LV was performed during sinus rhythm to determine the regional voltage amplitude. In addition, the morphology of the regional bipolar endocardial electrogram was assessed. During multisite LV stimulation, the stimulus-to-V intervals in both septal hypertrophy and the lateral LV myocardium were determined. Bipolar electroanatomic voltage mapping revealed a significant reduction in regional voltage amplitude in septal hypertrophic areas compared with lateral LV areas without evidence of hypertrophy (0.41+/-0.24 versus 13.5+/-1.85 mV; P<0,001). Local bipolar electrogram analysis demonstrated fractionated and prolonged endocardial potentials in septal hypertrophic areas (with split potentials present in 6 patients) that were not revealed at lateral myocardial sites (110.1+/-24.6 versus 80.1+/-6.6 ms; P=0.005). The stimulus-to-V interval was significantly longer (62.9+/-10.3 versus 24.1+/-9.1 ms; P=0.005) in septal hypertrophic areas compared with the lateral LV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In LV regions with extensive hypertrophy, a marked reduction of bipolar voltage amplitude can be found, as well as local conduction delay and conduction block. This result is consistent with the findings of regional myocardial scarring and may contribute to the increased incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Center of Cardiovascular Medicine, D-97688 Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany. Schumacher@kardiologie-bad-neustadt.de
authors.forename: Burghard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Frank H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Gietzen
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Neuser
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schümmelfeder
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kerber
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schimpf
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolpert
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borggrefe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013575:Syncope / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*