Signs of right ventricular myocyte hypertrophy in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

In human and mouse models mutations of desmoglein-2 produce a form of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy with massive necrosis and right ventricular myocyte hypertrophy. In a cohort of 434 patients with typical arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy it was searched for signs of right ventricular hypertrophy in standard ECG. In 12 cases manifest or subtle signs of right ventricular hypertrophy were present (3%) beyond minor or major ECG criteria of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Although desmoglein-2 mutations have a frequency of 5 – 15% in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy additional signs of right ventricular hypertrophy are a hint of massive necrosis in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy thus producing right ventricular myocyte hypertrophy. *Correspondence to: Stefan Peters, Cardiology, St.Elisabeth Hospital Salzgitter, Liebenhaller Str. 20, 38259 Salzgitter, Germany, Tel: +39 5341 824 679; E-Mail: H.u.S.Peters@t-online.de