Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance characterization of left ventricular non-compaction provides independent prognostic information in patients with incident heart failure or suspected cardiomyopathy
Published in: Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance | Issue 1/2014
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Background
With recent advances in imaging methods, detection of LVNC is increasingly common. Concomitantly, the prognostic importance of LVNC is less clear.
Methods
We followed 42 patients (63% male, age 44 ± 15 years) with incident heart failure or suspected cardiomyopathy, in whom cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) yielded a diagnosis of LVNC, for 27 ± 16 months.
Results
LVNC was preferentially distributed among posterolateral segments, with apical predominance. Patients with maximum non-compacted-to-compacted thickness ratio (NC:C) < 3 improved by 0.9 ± 0.7 NYHA Class, compared to 0.3 ± 0.8 for patients with NC:C > 3 (p = 0.001). In 29 patients with baseline LVEF < 0.40, there was an inverse correlation between NC:C ratio, and the change in LVEF during follow-up. Tachyarrhythmias were observed in 42% of patients with LGE, and in 0% of patients without LGE (p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, arrhythmia incidence was significantly higher in patients with LGE, even when adjusted for LVEF and RVEF.
Conclusions
CMR assessments of myocardial morphology provide important prognostic information for patients with LVNC who present with incident heart failure or suspected cardiomyopathy.