CINE-MR FEATURES OF SEGMENTAL CONTRACTION ABNORMALITIES IN ARRHYTHMOGENIC RIGHT-VENTRICULAR DYSPLASIA

The diagnosis of localized arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia may be difficult to ascertain. Aside from electrophysiological argumen ts, visualization of an abnormal right ventricular contraction pattern is of crucial importance for diagnosis. Cine-MR is almost the only ex amination method which offers detailed informations on the right ventr icular contraction pattern. Nine observations of segmental right ventr icular contraction abnormalities assessed by cine-MR are described her e: dyskinesia of the distal part of the anterior wall (2), of the infe rior wall (2), of the right ventricular outflow tract (2); akinesia of the outflow tract (2) and of the inferior. wail (1). Morphological ab normalities of the right ventricle are always associated with contract ion abnormalities but seem to be less disease specific. Patients shoul d be more readily referred for a cine-MR examination when the diagnosi s of localized right ventricular dysplasia is supected.