Comprehensive contrast and 3-dimensional echocardiographic imaging of left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy

Abstract

A 62-year-old woman with a history of heart failure, hypertension and stroke presented to hospital with dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed significant left ventricular dysfunction; with contrast-enhanced 2- and 3-dimensional echocardiography, extensive hypetrabeculation of the left ventricular myocardium was visualized, leading to a diagnosis of noncompaction cardiomyopathy. Apical thrombi were excluded with contrast imaging; however, the patient was systemically anticoagulated owing to the presence of noncompaction cardiomyopathy in the setting of prior stroke. This case report demonstrates remarkable imaging of the left ventricular myocardium achieved with contrast-enhanced 3-dimensional echocardiography in the setting of noncompaction cardiomyopathy.