Two-layered appearance of noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium on magnetic resonance imaging

A 60-year-old man with isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which clearly showed excessively prominent trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses that correlated well with the findings on echocardiography and contrast enhanced computed tomography. On the T2-weighted and contrast enhanced MRI scans, the noncompacted myocardium was separated into 2 layers: a subendocardial and an endocardial layer. A difference in signal intensity may reflect myocardial damage that leads to ventricular dysfunction or arrhythmia.