Sudden death related cardiomyopathies - Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, and exercise-induced cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a devastating possible outcome of all cardiomyopathies. The risk of SCD is increased in patients with structural heart disease and continues to increase as ventricular dysfunction worsens. There is, however, a subset of cardiomyopathy, so-called "arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy" (ACM), that carries an inherent propensity for arrhythmia in all stages of the disease, even preceding ventricular dysfunction. The aim of this review is to identify cardiomyopathies, other than ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathies, that are associated with ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and SCD. We discuss prevalence, diagnosis, natural history and management of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy, ACM, and exercise-induced cardiomyopathy, with emphasis on the morbidity and mortality of VAs associated with these cardiomyopathies and how they can be mitigated through lifestyle modification, medical management, and implantation of cardioverter defibrillators.

Keywords: Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy; Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy; Cardiomyopathy; Exercise-induced cardiomyopathy; Implantable cardioverter defibrillator; Right ventricular dysplasia; Sudden cardiac death; Ventricular arrhythmias.