Left ventricular non-compaction: prevalence in congenital heart disease.
BACKGROUND
Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) is a rare cardiomyopathy, originally described as an isolated disease without other structural cardiac abnormalities. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of LVNC among adults with different types of congenital heart disease.


METHODS
From our databases we identified adults with congenital heart disease who fulfilled diagnostic criteria for LVNC. We report frequencies of associated congenital cardiac defects and the prevalence of LVNC among patients with different congenital heart defects.


RESULTS
From a total of 202 patients with LVNC, 24 patients (12%; mean age 32 ± 11 years, 19 males) had additional congenital cardiac defects. Associated defects were left ventricular outflow tract abnormalities in 11 patients (46%), including 7 uni- or bicuspid aortic valves; two aortic coarctations; one diffuse aortic hypoplasia and one subaortic stenosis, Ebstein anomaly in 6 patients (25%), tetralogy of Fallot in two (8%), and double outlet right ventricle in one patient (4%). In our cohort, the prevalence of LVNC was highest among patients with Ebstein anomaly (6/40, 15%), followed by aortic coarctation (2/60, 3%), tetralogy of Fallot (3/129, 2%) and uni- or bicuspid aortic valves (7/963, 1%).


CONCLUSIONS
In adults, various forms of congenital heart disease are associated with LVNC, particularly stenotic lesions of the left ventricular outflow tract, Ebstein anomaly, and tetralogy of Fallot. In the future, studying these patients in more depth may provide a better understanding of the interplay between genetic and hemodynamic factors that lead to the phenotype of LVNC.
Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Barbara E
BE
Stähli
Catherine
C
Gebhard
Patric
P
Biaggi
Sabine
S
Klaassen
Emanuela
E
Valsangiacomo Buechel
Christine H
CH
Attenhofer Jost
Rolf
R
Jenni
Felix C
FC
Tanner
Matthias
M
Greutmann
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult