title: In- and outpatients with noncompaction: differences in cardiac and neuromuscular co-morbidity.
abstract: METHODS
  The prognosis of patients with left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT) is controversial. LVHT is associated with neuromuscular disorders (NMD) and diagnosed echocardiographically in in- as well as outpatients. We compared cardiologic and neurologic findings and mortality in LVHT-patients according to their diagnosis established as in- or outpatients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 113 patients (33 females, mean-age 53 years), 91 were investigated neurologically. Fifty-nine inpatients were older (55 versus 50 years, p<0.05), more frequently referred because of heart failure (73 versus 37%, p<0.001), had more often diabetes (24 versus 7%, p<0.05), heart failure (81 versus 57%, p<0.01), a lower left-ventricular fractional-shortening (21 versus 26%, p<0.05) and more extensive LVHT (1.7 versus 1.5 affected walls, p<0.05). Fifty-four outpatients were referred more often because of chest-pain (33 versus 12%, p<0.01), myopathy (13 versus 2%, p<0.05), were more often neurologically normal (20 versus 7%, p<0.05) or had a specific NMD (28 versus 12%, p<0.05). During a mean follow-up of 3.8 years, mortality was 5.8%/year. Inpatients had a higher mortality (12.1 versus 2.1%/year, p=0.0002) and a shorter time between LVHT-diagnosis and death (1.7 versus 4.6 years, p=0.0197) than outpatients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Outpatients with LVHT have a better prognosis than inpatients. Inpatients with LVHT should be closely monitored.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stöllberger
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blazek
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winkler-Dworak
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finsterer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000473:pathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000473:pathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult