Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

We describe a patient with asymptomatic apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) who later developed cardiac arrhythmias, and briefly discuss the diagnostic modalities, differential diagnosis and treatment option for this condition. AHCM is a rare form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which classically involves the apex of the left ventricle. AHCM can be an incidental finding, or patients may present with chest pain, palpitations, dyspnea, syncope, atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, embolic events, ventricular fibrillation and congestive heart failure. AHCM is frequently sporadic, but autosomal dominant inheritance has been reported in few families. The most frequent and classic electrocardiogram findings are giant negative T-waves in the precordial leads which are found in the majority of the patients followed by left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. A transthoracic echocardiogram is the initial diagnostic tool in the evaluation of ACHM and shows hypertrophy of the LV apex. AHCM may mimic other conditions such as LV apical cardiac tumors, LV apical thrombus, isolated ventricular non-compaction, endomyocardial fibrosis and coronary artery disease. Other modalities, including left ventriculography, multislice spiral computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imagings are also valuable tools and are frequently used to differentiate AHCH from other conditions. Medications used to treat symptomatic patients with AHCM include verapamil, beta-blockers and antiarrhythmic agents such as amiodarone and procainamide. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator is recommended for high risk patients. (C) 2011 Baishideng. All rights reserved.