Long-term follow-up in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy using tissue Doppler imaging.

AIM: To study patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and describe different echocardiographic parameters and their change over time during almost 10 years follow-up period.

METHODS

Fifteen patients (9 male, 6 female), aged 22-58 years (mean 40) with a diagnosis of ARVC, were followed up for a period of 6-10 years (mean 8.7). Twelve-lead and a signal- averaged ECG was recorded. Tricuspid and mitral annular motion and tissue Doppler imaging were registered by echocardiography. Wall motion score index (WMSI) was calculated for the left and right ventricles.

RESULTS

We registered significant reduction in systolic tissue velocity on right ventricle free wall between the first and last investigations: 7-17 cm/s (mean 11.8) to 4-15 (mean 9.1), p=0.005. WMSI increased by at least 0.2 in 10/14 patients for the right and in 8/15 patients for the left ventricle. A decrease in velocity time integral for the left ventricular outflow was observed (16-30 to 13-21, p=0.009).

CONCLUSION

ARVC is a progressive disease with individual variation. Left ventricular involvement may occur early in the disease. Tissue Doppler imaging is a useful tool to follow-up right ventricular abnormalities.