Utility of speckle tracking echocardiography imaging in patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

Background Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) is characterized by the progressive replacement of ventricular myocytes with variable amounts of fibrous and adipose tissue. Several studies have suggested that speckle tracking echocardiographic (STE) parameters such as strain (S) and strain rate (SR) may prove useful in the early detection of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate RV myocardial function using the STE method in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with ARVD and to assess its potential role in the differential diagnosis of these two presentations. Methods We recruited 34 patients with ARVD. Seventeen patients were symptomatic, and seventeen were asymptomatic. Results The RV free wall global longitudinal S and SR were significantly lower in symptomatic patients with ARVD than in asymptomatic patients. According to a cutoff value of 1.35 per seconds for RV global SR, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting ARVD were 88% and 77%, respectively. According to a cutoff value of 17.3% for RV S, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting ARVD were 82% and 77%, respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, we present strong evidence that STE-derived global S and SR in the RV free wall are decreased in symptomatic patients with ARVD compared with asymptomatic patients.