title: Serial reevaluation for ARVD/C is indicated in patients presenting with left bundle branch block ventricular tachycardia and minor ECG abnormalities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is based on a set of criteria proposed by the International Task Force (TF) for Cardiomyopathies in 1994. To fulfill these criteria, presence of both electrocardiographic and anatomical abnormalities must be assessed with ECG and imaging techniques, respectively. This may be difficult in patients with early/mild forms of the disease as detectable structural abnormalities may still be absent. We evaluated in which patients presenting with right ventricular tachycardia (VT) serial reevaluation for ARVD/C is indicated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty consecutive patients (41 men, mean age 40+/-15 years) were evaluated by the TF criteria for possible ARVD/C because of presentation with a left bundle branch block (LBBB) VT, representing 1 minor criterion. The presence on the ECG of a T-wave inversion beyond lead V2 (1 minor), right precordial QRS prolongation (1 major), or an epsilon wave (1 major) was assessed together with the visualization of severe regional/global right ventricle dysfunction (1 major) or mild segmental dilatation/regional hypokinesia (1 minor) by standard imaging techniques. Initially, 22 (37%) patients were diagnosed as having ARVD/C. After 47+/-39 (range 6-146) months, 23 initially TF-negative patients were reevaluated because of recurrent symptoms, with 12 (52%) additional patients now meeting the TF criteria. Eleven of these 12 (92%) patients presented initially with ECG abnormalities only, but developed structural abnormalities on imaging at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ECG abnormalities may precede structural abnormalities warranting serial reevaluation for ARVD/C in initially TF-negative patients presenting with LBBB VT with only ECG abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Philippine
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kiès
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bootsma
authors.forename: Jeroen J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bax
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zeppenfeld
authors.forename: Lieselot
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Erven
authors.forename: Maurits C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wijffels
authors.forename: Ernst E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: van der Wall
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schalij
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents