VALUE OF DIFFERENT NONINVASIVE METHODS OF INVESTIGATION FOR DIAGNOSISOF ARRHYTHMOGENIC RIGHT-VENTRICULAR DYSPLASIA

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is one of causes of sudden death especially in young people. The aim of the study was to determin e most informative signs which characterise the presence of this condi tion. Sixty patients (age 15-60 years) with cardiac rhythm disturbance s were evaluated with the use of resting, 24 hour Holter and exercise electrocardiography, chest x-ray, transesophageal atrial pacing and ec hocardiography. In 21-60 patients the cause of arrhythmia was not dete rmined. These patients formed a group of patients with idiopathic card iac rhythm disturbances. In 12 patients arrhythmogenic right ventricul ar dysplasia was diagnosed basing on radionuclide, roentgenocontrast v entriculography, and magnetic resonance tomography data. Patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia compared to patients with idiopathic cardiac rhythm disturbances had more ventricular arrhythmia s such as pairs and salves of premature beats or tachycardia and these arrhythmias more frequently worsened during exercise test. Echocardio graphy and radionuclide ventriculography had limited value in diagnosi s of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia-only half of patients had such non-specific signs as right ventricular dilatation and abnorm alities of local contractility. Magnetic resonance imaging gave most i nformative results: in 75% of patients it revealed thinning of right v entricular wall and/or pronounced disturbances of local contractility such as aneurismatic wall bulging (in 42%) and dyskinesia (in 33% of p atients).