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Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Clinical Assessment and Differential Diagnosis

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Clinical Echocardiography and Other Imaging Techniques in Cardiomyopathies

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Abstract

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited cardiovascular disorder leading to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, progressive biventricular dysfunction, and heart failure. Sudden death can be the unique feature of the disease. Genetic studies indicate that ARVC should be considered a disease of desmosome dysfunction. Diagnosis remains a clinical challenge mainly in its early stages and in patients with minimal imaging structural abnormalities. ARVC shares some common features with other cardiac diseases, such as RV outflow tract ventricular tachycardia, Brugada syndrome, dilated cardiomyopathy, and myocarditis, due to arrhythmic expressivity and biventricular involvement. Diagnosis is based on major and minor criteria listed in the Revised Task Force Criteria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Trieste, via P. Valdoni 7, Trieste, 34139, Italy

    Francesca Brun, Concetta Di Nora, Marco Merlo, Alberto Pivetta & Gianfranco Sinagra MD, FESC

  2. Department of Molecular Genetics, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Ave, F442, Aurora, Colorado, 80045-2507, USA

    Luisa Mestroni MD, FACC, FESC

Authors
  1. Francesca Brun
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  2. Concetta Di Nora
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  3. Marco Merlo
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  4. Alberto Pivetta
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  5. Luisa Mestroni MD, FACC, FESC
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  6. Gianfranco Sinagra MD, FESC
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Correspondence to Francesca Brun .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cattinara University Hospital, Trieste, Italy

    Bruno Pinamonti

  2. Cattinara University Hospital, Trieste, Italy

    Gianfranco Sinagra

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© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Brun, F., Di Nora, C., Merlo, M., Pivetta, A., Mestroni, L., Sinagra, G. (2014). Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Clinical Assessment and Differential Diagnosis. In: Pinamonti, B., Sinagra, G. (eds) Clinical Echocardiography and Other Imaging Techniques in Cardiomyopathies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06019-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06019-4_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-06018-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-06019-4

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