Isolated left ventricular noncompaction as a cause for heart failure and heart transplantation: a single center experience.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of isolated left ventricular noncompaction (IVNC) as a cause of heart failure and heart transplantation.


METHODS
There were 960 patients seen in the heart failure clinic from 1987 to 2005, with a complete evaluation including echocardiography at our center (study population, 82% men, mean age 52 years). The following data were collected: type of heart disease, age at echocardiography and at heart transplantation, and frequency of heart transplantation. Echocardiographic diagnosis of IVNC was based on our published criteria.


RESULTS
The etiologies of heart failure were coronary artery disease (CAD; 37%), idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (33%), valvular heart disease (11%), congenital heart disease (5%), IVNC (3%), hypertensive heart disease (3%), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (2%), myocarditis (1%), and <1% other diagnoses. Heart transplantation was performed in 253 patients (26%) due to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (42%), CAD (39%), valvular heart disease (5%), congenital heart disease (5%), IVNC (2%), or other etiologies (< or =1% each).


CONCLUSIONS
The most common causes for heart failure remain idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, CAD and valvular heart disease. Strictly using the criteria for the definition of IVNC, IVNC is a rare underlying cardiomyopathy for both, heart failure (2.7%) and heart transplantation (2%) in our center.
Kovacevic-Preradovic
T
T
Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Jenni
R
R
Oechslin
E N
EN
Noll
G
G
Seifert
B
B
Attenhofer Jost
C H
CH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult