Anatomical features and clinical correlations in Caucasian patients with definite arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy

AIM: Arrhythmogenic right ventrticular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an inherited cardiomyopathy characterized by fibrofatty replacement and a high risk of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD). The aim of the present investigation is to examine the pathological profile and the clinical correlations in a group of ARVD/C patients. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter study evaluating 47 patients (31 men; mean age 37±14 years) with definite ARVD/C. Diagnosis was established according to the actual clinicomorphologic criteria at autopsy or clinically. We divided the study population in 2 different groups. First group included 28 alive patients and the second 19 patients dead suddenly. RESULTS: Age at presentation was different in the two groups (P=0.0015). We observed an important association regarding the risk of sudden death and the history of physical exercise (P=0.0017). Moreover patients with negative outcome (i.e., SCD, cardiac transplantation, congestive heart failure) had a significantly association with biventricular form of ARVD/C (P=0.0034) and age presentation (P=0.003). Left ventricular (LV) involvement was frequently observed in the two groups (17% and 32% respectively). Post-mortem examination revealed frequent inflammatory infiltrates (26%) indicating active myocarditis, which probably justify the fatal arrhythmic events occurred in these patients. CONCLUSION: Frequent LV involvement justifies the recent adoption of the broad term Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. Early age presentation, sport activity and the biventricular form of ARVD/C represent important predictors of adverse outcome that can be useful to early identify patients at high risk.