Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Sep;29(9):419-422.
doi: 10.1007/s12471-021-01592-5. Epub 2021 Jul 7.

Left ventricular false tendons

S Velthuis  1 , P J Senden  2
Affiliations
Review

Left ventricular false tendons

S Velthuis et al. Neth Heart J. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Left ventricular false tendons (LVFTs) are fibromuscular structures, connecting the left ventricular free wall or papillary muscle and the ventricular septum.There is some discussion about safety issues during intense exercise in athletes with LVFTs, as these bands have been associated with ventricular arrhythmias and abnormal cardiac remodelling. However, presence of LVFTs appears to be much more common than previously noted as imaging techniques have improved and the association between LVFTs and abnormal remodelling could very well be explained by better visibility in a dilated left ventricular lumen.Although LVFTs may result in electrocardiographic abnormalities and could form a substrate for ventricular arrhythmias, it should be considered as a normal anatomic variant. Persons with LVFTs do not appear to have increased risk for ventricular arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death.

Keywords: Abnormal cardiac remodelling; Left ventricular false tendon; Ventricular arrhythmias.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

S. Velthuis and P.J. Senden declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Electrocardiogram with fragmented QRS complex in leads III and V1
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Transthoracic echocardiogram. Apical 5‑chamber view demonstrating prominent left ventricular false tendon from the septal base to the apex
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wegner FK, Diller GP, Eckardt L, et al. A case of “tiger heart”: a distinct variant of left ventricular non-compaction. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2020;21(12):1434. doi: 10.1093/ehjci/jeaa138. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Parameswaran AC, Cheong BY. Tiger heart: a variant of isolated left ventricular noncompaction? Tex Heart Inst J. 2012;39(3):444–445. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kenchaiah S, Benjamin EJ, Evans JC, et al. Epidemiology of left ventricular false tendons: clinical correlates in the Framingham Heart Study. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2009;22(6):739–745. doi: 10.1016/j.echo.2009.03.008. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Liu Y, Mi N, Zhou Y, et al. Transverse false tendons in the left ventricular cavity are associated with early repolarization. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(5):e0125173. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125173. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Philip S, Cherian KM, Wu MH, Lue HC. Left ventricular false tendons: echocardiographic, morphologic, and histopathologic studies and review of the literature. Pediatr Neonatol. 2011;52(5):279–286. doi: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2011.06.007. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources