Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia clinical presentation and diagnostic evaluation: Results from the North American Multidisciplinary Study

Background: Prior reports on patients with ARVC/D focused on individuals with advanced forms of the disease. There are limited data regarding diagnostic performance of various testing modalities in newly identified individuals suspected of having ARVC/D. Objectives: The Multidisciplinary Study of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy/Dysplasia (ARVC/D) was initiated to study the clinical characteristics and the diagnostic evaluation of a large group of newly identified patients with ARVC/D. Methods: A total of 108 newly diagnosed patients with suspected ARVC/D were prospectively enrolled in the United States and Canada. The patients underwent noninvasive and invasive tests using standardized protocols that were initially interpreted by the enrolling center and adjudicated by blind analysis in six core laboratories. The patients were followed for a mean of 27 ± 16 months (0.2 – 63 months). Results: The clinical profile of these newly diagnosed patients differs from those reported with more advanced disease. There was considerable difference in the initial and final classification of the presence of ARVC/D after the diagnostic tests were evaluated by the core laboratories. Final clinical diagnosis was 73 affected, 28 borderline, and 7 unaffected. Individual tests agreed with final diagnosis in 50% to 70% of the 73 who had final classification as affected. Conclusions: The clinical profile of 108 newly diagnosed probands with suspected ARVC/D indicates that a combination of diagnostic tests is needed to evaluate the presence of right ventricular structural, functional and electrical abnormalities. Echocardiography, RV angiography, SAECG and Holter monitoring provide optimal clinical evaluation of patients suspected of ARVC/D