Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia: a new congenital anomaly described with cardiac tomography

Multimodality imaging for the diagnosis of left ventricular apical hypoplasia: A case presentation and review of the literatures

Left ventricular apical hypoplasia is a rare malformation recently described congenital abnormality characterized by: (1) truncation of the left ventricle, with the septum projecting toward the right ventricle; (2) abnormal papillary muscle originating from the flattened left ventricular apex; (3) a narrow right ventricle encompassing the periapical area of the left ventricle; (4) fatty infiltration of the apex of the left ventricle. We reported a case of LVAH and reviewed the patient's clinical presentation. And its morphologic characteristics were revealed by multimodality imaging, including echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Additionally, we reviewed 41 cases from 32 reports to summarize the pathogenesis and analyzed the imaging manifestations of LVAH in this study, aiming to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and clinical management of LVAH patients.

"NASCI case of the month: left ventricular apical hypoplasia"

Left ventricular apical hypoplasia is a rare congenital condition. It can cause nonspecific symptoms and can be accompanied by cardiac conduction system alterations such as bundle branch block, atrial flutter (AF) or atrial fibrillation. The diagnosis mostly is made by imaging.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings of isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia (ILVAH) is an uncommon and likely congenital cardiac abnormality that has been described as relatively new. ILVAH is characterized by a truncated, globular-shaped left ventricle (LV) with bulging of the interventricular septum toward the right ventricle (RV), wrapping of an elongated and lengthened RV around the absent LV apex, thinning and fat replacement of apical myocardium of the LV, and abnormalities in the papillary muscle arrangement of the LV. In this report, we present the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings of a 22-year-old female patient with non-specific cardiac complaints that were compatible with ILVAH. Recognition of this rare cardiomyopathy is important for clinicians and radiologists in order to follow up on patients with ILVAH, as it may lead to severe complications, and to distinguish it from other cardiomyopathies.

Learning objective

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia (ILVAH) is a rare congenital cardiomyopathy that has some serious complications, such as left-sided heart failure, severe pulmonary hypertension, and fatal arrhythmias. By recognizing and identifying the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings of ILVAH, clinicians and radiologists can take appropriate measures to manage and treat patients with this condition, potentially improving outcomes and reducing the risk of complications.

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia: Systematic review and analysis of the 37 cases reported so far

BACKGROUND

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia (ILVAH), also known as truncated left ventricle (LV), is a very unusual cardiomyopathy. It is characterised by a truncated, spherical, and non-apex forming LV. The true apex is occupied by the right ventricle. Due to the rarity of the disease, just a few case reports and limited case series have been published in the field.

AIM

To analysing the so far 37 reported ILVAH cases worldwide.

METHODS

The electronic databases PubMed and Scopus were investigated from their establishment up to December 13, 2022.

RESULTS

The majority of cases reported occurred in males (52.7%). Mean age at diagnosis was 26.1 ± 19.6 years. More than a third of the patients were asymptomatic (35.1%). The most usual clinical presentation was breathlessness (40.5%). The most commonly detected electrocardiogram changes were T wave abnormalities (29.7%) and right axis deviation with poor R wave progression (24.3%). Atrial fibrillation/flutter was detected in 24.3%. Echocardiography was performed in 97.3% of cases and cardiac MRI in 91.9% of cases. Ejection fraction was reduced in more than a half of patients (56.7%). An associated congenital heart disease was found in 16.2%. Heart failure therapy was administered in 35.1% of patients. The outcome was favorable in the vast majority of patients, with just one death.

CONCLUSION

ILVAH is a multifaceted entity with a so far unpredictable course, ranging from benign until the elderly to sudden death during adolescence.

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia: case report

Background

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia (ILVAH) is a rare, probably congenital, cardiac condition recently reported in the last two decades. Although most cases are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, some severe and fatal cases have been reported, leading to more efforts for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. We describe the first, and severe, case of this pathology in Peru and Latin America.

Case summary

A 24-year-old male with a history of long-standing alcohol and illicit drug use presented with symptoms of heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). Transthoracic echocardiography showed biventricular dysfunction along with spherical left ventricle, abnormal papillary muscles' origin from the left ventricular apex, and an elongated right ventricle wrapping around the deficient left ventricular apex. Cardiac magnetic resonance confirmed these findings and revealed subepicardial fatty replacement at the left ventricular apex. The diagnosis of ILVAH was made. He was discharged from hospital with carvedilol, enalapril, digoxin, and warfarin. Eighteen months later he remains mildly symptomatic at New York Heart Association functional class II without worsening HF nor thrombo-embolism.

Discussion

This case highlights the usefulness of multimodality non-invasive cardiovascular imaging for accurate diagnosis of ILVAH as well as the importance of close follow-up and treatment of established complications (HF and AF).

Isolated ventricular apical hypoplasia: A report of four cases and literature review

Isolated ventricular apical hypoplasia (IVAH) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly, with clinical manifestations depending on the age of the patient, ranging from no symptoms in children to congestive heart failure or even malignant tachycardia in adults. Herein, we describe the clinical and anatomical findings in four cases with hypoplasia of the right or left ventricular apex, and we discuss the possible mechanisms and differential diagnosis of this malformation. Echocardiography is a rapidly accessible, low cost, noninvasive technique for the detection and evaluation of IVAH.

Isolated left ventricular hypoplasia - A singularity

Isolated left ventricular hypoplasia is an entity with uncertain natural history and etiology. The presentation could vary from being asymptomatic to sudden death. This form of cardiomyopathy has been reported in infants as well as in adults. This case report aims to alert physicians to this diagnosis and the undeniable advantage of cardiac magnetic resonance.

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia with myocardial non-compaction: a case report

Background

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia (ILVAH) is a rare congenital cardiac abnormality, which might result in severe symptomatic heart failure (HF) with pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation (AF), or malignant ventricular tachycardia in adults.

Case summary

A 32-years-old man presented with exertional dyspnoea New York Heart Association Class II and persistent AF. Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance showed the presence of (i) spherical remodelling of the left ventricle (LV) with impaired contractile function (three-dimensional ejection fraction, EF 32%); (ii) substitution of apical myocardium by fatty tissue; (iii) abnormal origin of a papillary muscle network; and (iv) an elongated right ventricle, compatible with ILVAH. In addition, non-compacted endomyocardial layer of the LV was observed. Because of a high risk of sudden cardiac death in symptomatic HF patients with reduced EF, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was placed which followed by pulmonary vein isolation. After the procedures and restoration of sinus rhythm, the patient demonstrated improvement in HF symptoms and exercise tolerance. This was accompanied by an enhancement of left and right ventricular systolic function by echocardiography. At 6-month, 1, and 2-year follow-up the clinical conditions of the patient and echocardiographic findings remained stable.

Discussion

A rare combination of ILVAH and left ventricular myocardium non-compaction was observed in this young adult who presented with symptomatic HF and persistent AF. The use of consecutive invasive cardiac procedures leads to restoration of sinus rhythm, the improvement of myocardial contractility and clinical manifestation of HF.

Case 262: Isolated Left Ventricular Apical Hypoplasia

History A 17-year-old white male adolescent was re-evaluated for a withheld cardiac condition initially detected during prenatal imaging at an outside institution. He had previously experienced intermittent episodes of shortness of breath, chest pain, and palpitations with exertion, but more recently he had been asymptomatic. He had no other comorbidities and no family history of congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death. At physical examination, the patient had a grade II/IV rumbling systolic murmur best heard at the left upper sternal border. Otherwise, cardiovascular and other physical examination findings were normal. An electrocardiogram showed sinus bradycardia and nonspecific T wave changes. A graded exercise stress test was normal. Cardiac MRI was performed without and with gadolinium-based contrast material. Multiple echocardiograms obtained since birth, cardiac MR images obtained 2 and 4 years earlier, and nongated CT images obtained with iodinated contrast material to evaluate trauma 8 years prior showed findings similar to those of the current examination. Prior chest radiographs (not shown) were normal, and angiography performed when the patient was 4 years old revealed normal coronary arteries.

Isolated right ventricular apical hypoplasia characterized by computed tomography and echocardiography

Isolated right ventricular apical hypoplasia is an unusual congenital heart disease that has been mentioned in only one report to our knowledge. We describe the case of a 62-year-old male patient suffering from recurrent abdominal distention, nausea, and lower extremity edema. The right ventricular morphologic abnormalities as shown by echocardiography and CT were comparable to those of left ventricular apical hypoplasia, suggesting right ventricular apical hypoplasia. However, this speculative diagnosis remains to be confirmed by additional cases. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 46:82-84, 2018.

Isolated Left Ventricular Apical Hypoplasia: Reporting a Case With Mild Manifestations and Different Echocardiography Features

Introduction

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia is an unusual type of cardiomyopathy that presents with different clinical manifestations according to the age of the disease, ranging from no symptoms in children to congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, or even malignant tachycardia in adults. To our knowledge, only a few cases of isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia have been reported in Asian adults.

Case Presentation

Herein, we described an adult case of isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia referred to our heart center in Isfahan, Iran in 2015 with a complaint of mild dyspnea with the absence of obvious fatty tissue in the heart’s apex and an absence of any shunt, which are common findings in patients with this phenomenon.

Conclusions

Patients faced with isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia should be monitored by echocardiography because of this disease’s possible progressive trend to life-threatening consequences.

Isolated Left Ventricular Apical Hypoplasia with Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction: A Rare Combination

Isolated left ventricular (LV) apical hypoplasia is a unusual and recently recognized congenital cardiac anomaly. A 19-year-old man was found to have an abnormal ECG and cardiac murmur identified during a routine health check since joining work. His ECG revealed normal sinus rhythm, right-axis deviation, poor R wave progression, and T wave abnormalities. On physical examination, a 2/6～3/6 systolic murmur was heard at the second intercostal space along the left sternal border. Subsequent echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the LV apical hypoplasia. Of note, we first found that LV apical hypoplasia was accompanied by RV outflow tract obstruction due to exaggerated rightward bulging of the basal-anterior septum during systole. A close follow-up was performed for the development of heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and potentially tachyarrhythmia.

Three-Dimensional Endo-Cardiovascular Volume-Rendered Cine Computed Tomography of Isolated Left Ventricular Apical Hypoplasia: A Case Report and Literature Review

We report multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) findings of a 34-year-old female with isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia. The MDCT and CMR scans displayed a spherical left ventricle (LV) with extensive fatty infiltration within the myocardium at the apex, interventricular septum and inferior wall, anteroapical origin of the papillary muscle, right ventricle wrapping around the deficient LV apex, and impaired systolic function. MDCT visualized morphologic and also functional findings of this unique cardiomyopathy.

Left ventricular apical hypoplasia: Case report on cardiomyopathy and a history of sudden cardiac death

BACKGROUND

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia with several different unrecognized dimensions is a newly discovered congenital anomaly of the heart.

CASE REPORT

In this report, we describe a case of cardiomyopathy of this type occurring in a 13-year-old male with a history of mental retardation and sudden cardiac death (SCD) of second-degree relatives. The patient was referred for an evaluation of cardiac status. An echocardiography analysis demonstrated a spherical left ventricle (LV) appearance with mild mitral regurgitation. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed a spherical and truncated LV appearance. The right ventricle was found to have elongated and wrapped around the LV, and diverticulum was also seen in the cardiac MRI.

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this is to present the first case of LV apical hypoplasia combined with LV diverticulum and a family history of SCD. As more cases featuring this cardiomyopathy type are recognized, it will be easier to elucidate the natural history and management of such cardiac anomalies.

Idiopathic left ventricular apical hypoplasia

A 46-year-old man was found to have an abnormal ECG taken during a routine health and blood pressure check. His only symptom was non-specific central chest discomfort, unrelated to exertion. His ECG showed sinus rhythm, a normal axis and poor R wave progression across the chest leads and lateral T wave flattening. An echocardiogram showed a dilated left ventricle with a thin and hypokinetic septum bulging to the right. The apex was 'not well seen' but also appeared thin and hypokinetic. The right heart and valves were normal. The patient was further investigated for left ventricular hypoplasia.

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia with infundibular pulmonary and aortic stenosis: a rare combination

Isolated left ventricular (LV) apical hypoplasia is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly which is not accompanied by other cardiac abnormalities, with the exception of two cases. We report a case of a 33-year-old male patient with isolated LV apical hypoplasia combined with infundibular pulmonary stenosis and aortic stenosis. We review a literature focusing on the characteristic magnetic resonance features and combined cardiac abnormalities.

Isolated left-ventricular apical hypoplasia presenting as a left-ventricular mass on echocardiography

Left-ventricular apical hypoplasia is a rare entity. Although it has typical imaging features on cardiovascular magnetic resonance, recognizing this condition on echocardiography can be challenging. This report describes an asymptomatic pediatric patient who initially presented with a left-ventricular mass on echocardiography.

A plump and fatty heart: isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia is a newly recognized type of cardiomyopathy, with only a few cases reported since it was first described in 2004. We report this case of a 21-year-old Filipino female presenting with unstable supraventricular arrhythmia and heart failure, with characteristic features of isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia on echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. To our knowledge, this is the first reported adult case in Asia.

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia

Isolated left ventricular (LV) apical hypoplasia is a recently described congenital abnormality characterized by: (1) a truncated and spherical LV configuration with rightward bulging of the interventricular septum, (2) deficiency of the myocardium within the LV apex with adipose tissue infiltrating the apex, (3) origin of the papillary muscle in the flattened anterior apex, and (4) elongation of the right ventricle wrapping around the deficient LV apex. In this report, we demonstrate these characteristic features with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and summarize the existing information on isolated LV apical hypoplasia.

Echocardiographic characterization of left ventricular apical hypoplasia accompanied by a patent ductus arteriosus

Left ventricular (LV) apical hypoplasia is an unusual, recently identified cardiomyopathy, whose clinical course is uncertain. In this report, we describe a case of this cardiomyopathy occurring in an asymptomatic 50-year-old male with a remote history of a surgically corrected patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), primarily using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to illustrate the imaging characteristics. This patient had been referred to our institution for an abnormal electrocardiogram, and TTE subsequently (Figure 1) revealed a dilated left ventricle with moderately to severely reduced function; LV ejection fraction was 30% by two- and three-dimensional quantification. The left ventricle had a spherical appearance with a thin-walled, truncated, and akinetic distal LV. The right ventricle appeared elongated and was noted to wrap around the distal left ventricle, but right ventricular systolic function was normal. There were no significant valvular abnormalities, and no evidence of residual PDA flow. Subsequent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging confirmed these findings (Figure 1). The TTE and CMR findings seen in this patient are consistent with LV apical hypoplasia. Until now, this cardiomyopathy has been described only as an isolated congenital anomaly primarily using CMR and cardiac computed tomography. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of LV apical hypoplasia in conjunction with another congenital cardiac abnormality, and the findings demonstrate that the distinctive appearance of this cardiomyopathy can be easily identified with echocardiography. As more cases are recognized and patients are followed over time, the natural history and optimal treatment for this cardiomyopathy may be further elucidated.

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia: a newly recognized unclassified cardiomyopathy

We describe two relatively asymptomatic cases diagnosed with the newly recognized unclassified cardiomyopathy, isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia. The disease has been described mainly in cardiac magnetic resonance, whereas this study presents the echocardiographic characteristics of this new cardiomyopathy.

MR imaging of isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia

We report the MRI findings in a 3-month-old boy with isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia. This is a recently described congenital abnormality that consists of an odd, spherically shaped left ventricle due to absence of the ventricular apex. To our knowledge, isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia has not been reported in a child.

Demonstration of coronary arteries and major cardiac vascular structures in congenital heart disease by cardiac multidetector computed tomography angiography

BACKGROUND

Detection of coronary artery is important when considering surgical treatment of a congenital heart disease (CHD) such as tetralogy of Fallot (TF). Cardiac catheterization plays an important supplementary role in the evaluation of patients with CHD. In a few reports, it has been proposed that multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) can be helpful for the visualization of coronary arteries. We sought to demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of MDCT angiography for anatomical evaluation of coronary arteries in CHD patients with suspected coronary artery anomalies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 10 patients, 9 pediatric and 1 adult, underwent MDCT angiography for the investigation of coronary artery anomalies and mediastinal vascular structures. Seven patients had TF; 5 of these patients were suspected of having coronary artery anomalies and 2 were suspected of having pulmonary artery atresia or a nonconfluent pulmonary artery. The other 3 patients had truncus arteriosus and severe left pulmonary artery stenosis (n = 1), double outlet right ventricle (n = 1), and Kawasaki disease (n = 1) with suspected coronary artery aneurysms. The entire heart, major vascular structures, and coronary artery anomalies were preoperatively scanned in patients with cyanotic heart disease. Examinations were performed by 16-MDCT with 1-mm slice thickness. A breath-holding test was performed in 5 patients. Nonionic iodinated contrast material (2 cc/kg) was administered by a power injector.

RESULTS

Major vascular structures and the proximal part of the right and left coronary arteries were visualized successfully in all patients. Mid and/or distal segments of the coronary arteries were visualized in 5 patients with TF. Pulmonary vascular bed findings were also confirmed during surgery in patients with TF and in one patient with truncus arteriosus type I and severe left pulmonary artery stenosis. Kawasaki disease was diagnosed by the presence of aneurysms in one patient. Pulmonary artery atresia was confirmed in one patient and diameter of the pulmonary arteries (4 mm and 4.5 mm) was determined in the other 2 patients by MDCT.

CONCLUSION

The advantage of MDCT for cardiac imaging is the shortened scanning time for imaging the entire heart without long breath-holding times. Selective conventional coronary angiography is invasive and technically difficult in pediatric patients. We suggest that MDCT angiography can be performed as a noninvasive method in patients with CHD for the evaluation of coronary artery anatomy and anomalies and mediastinal vascular structures.