Assessment of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in a Trained Athlete: Differential Diagnosis of Physiologic Athlete's Heart From Pathologic Hypertrophy

2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 387-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Pelliccia ◽  
Martin S. Maron ◽  
Barry J. Maron
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Corsi ◽  
G Todiere ◽  
A Barison ◽  
C Grigoratos ◽  
G.D Aquaro

Abstract Background Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) may be due to different causes, ranging from, benign secondary forms (athlete's heart) to severe prognosis cardiomyopathies (i.e. cardiac amyloidosis). Early and accurate differential diagnosis is important to proper patient management. LVH may be detected by echocardiography signs of hypertrophy or other abnormalities often associated to hypertrophic phenotypes. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is often used to confirm the initial diagnostic suspicion. On the best of our knowledge, there are no study specifically designed to evaluate the final impact of CMR in changing or confirming the initial diagnostic echocardiographic suspicion. Aim To evaluate the clinical prognostic correlates of CMR in patients with echocardiographic or ECG suspicion of LVH (or cardiomyopathies with hypertrophic phenotype). Methods and results We enrolled 275 pts with echocardiographic evidence of LVH. Using current guidelines, the initial echocardiographic diagnostic suspicion was: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 46.9% of pts; cardiac amyloidosis in 14.5%; hypertensive LVH in 17%; aortic stenosis in 1.5%; athlete's heart in 0.3%; undetermined LVH in 17%. CMR changed the diagnosis in 42% cases: the diagnosis of HCM increased from 44% to 72% of pts; hypertensive and undetermined LVH decreased significantly (respectively to 4% and 5%). Finally, the change in diagnostic suspicion was associated to reclassification of risk of patients: Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that HCM and cardiac amyloidosis had worst prognosis than undetermined or hypertensive LVH. Conclusions CMR changed the echocardiographic suspicion in almost half of patients with LVH. This study highlights the indication of CMR in patient with ECG or echocardiographic suspicion of LVH. Kaplan-Meier curves Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


Physiology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate L. Weeks ◽  
Julie R. McMullen

Cardiac remodeling is typically associated with disease and can lead to heart failure. In contrast, remodeling that occurs in the athlete's heart is considered an adaptive physiological response. This review provides an overview of signaling mechanisms responsible for inducing left ventricular hypertrophy in the athlete's heart and in settings of pathological hypertrophy and heart failure.


Author(s):  
Mareike Gastl ◽  
Vera Lachmann ◽  
Aikaterini Christidi ◽  
Nico Janzarik ◽  
Verena Veulemans ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Distinguishing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) from left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) due to systematic training (athlete’s heart, AH) from morphologic assessment remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of T2 mapping and deformation imaging obtained by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to discriminate AH from HCM with (HOCM) or without outflow tract obstruction (HNCM). Methods Thirty-three patients with HOCM, 9 with HNCM, 13 strength-trained athletes as well as individual age- and gender-matched controls received CMR. For T2 mapping, GRASE-derived multi-echo images were obtained and analyzed using dedicated software. Besides T2 mapping analyses, left ventricular (LV) dimensional and functional parameters were obtained including LV mass per body surface area (LVMi), interventricular septum thickness (IVS), and global longitudinal strain (GLS). Results While LVMi was not significantly different, IVS was thickened in HOCM patients compared to athlete’s. Absolute values of GLS were significantly increased in patients with HOCM/HNCM compared to AH. Median T2 values were elevated compared to controls except in athlete’s heart. ROC analysis revealed T2 values (AUC 0.78) and GLS (AUC 0.91) as good parameters to discriminate AH from overall HNCM/HOCM. Conclusion Discrimination of pathologic from non-pathologic LVH has implications for risk assessment of competitive sports in athletes. Multiparametric CMR with parametric T2 mapping and deformation imaging may add information to distinguish AH from LVH due to HCM. Key Points • Structural analyses using T2 mapping cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) may help to further distinguish myocardial diseases. • To differentiate pathologic from non-pathologic left ventricular hypertrophy, CMR including T2 mapping was obtained in patients with hypertrophic obstructive/non-obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM/HNCM) as well as in strength-trained athletes. • Elevated median T2 values in HOCM/HNCM compared with athlete’s may add information to distinguish athlete’s heart from pathologic left ventricular hypertrophy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 667-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Zorzi ◽  
Chiara Calore ◽  
Riccardo Vio ◽  
Antonio Pelliccia ◽  
Domenico Corrado

BackgroundInterpretation of the athlete’s ECG is based on differentiation between benign ECG changes and potentially pathological abnormalities. The aim of the study was to compare the 2010 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the 2017 International criteria for differential diagnosis between hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and athlete’s heart.MethodsThe study populations included 200 patients with HCM and 563 athletes grouped as follows: ‘group 1’, including normal ECG and isolated increase of QRS voltages, which are considered non-pathologic according to ESC and International criteria; ‘group 2’, including left atrial enlargement or left axis deviation in isolation and Q-waves with an amplitude ≥4 mm but <25% of the ensuing R-wave and a duration <0.04 s which are considered pathologic according to the ESC but not according to the International criteria; and ‘group 3’, including abnormalities which are considered pathologic according to ESC and International criteria.ResultsOverall, the 2010 ESC criteria showed a sensitivity of 95.5% and a specificity of 86.9%. Considering group 2 ECG changes as normal according to the International criteria led to a statistically significant (p<0.001) increase of specificity to 95.9%, associated with a non-significant (p=0.47) reduction of sensitivity to 93%. Among patients with HCM, there was a significant increase of maximal left ventricular wall thickness from group 1 to 3 (p=0.02).ConclusionsThe use of 2017 International criteria is associated with a substantial increase in specificity and a marginal decrease in sensitivity for differential diagnosis between HCM and athlete’s heart.


Heart ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. heartjnl-2020-318271
Author(s):  
Giovanni Vitale ◽  
Raffaello Ditaranto ◽  
Francesca Graziani ◽  
Ilaria Tanini ◽  
Antonia Camporeale ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo evaluate the role of the ECG in the differential diagnosis between Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).MethodsIn this multicentre retrospective study, 111 AFD patients with left ventricular hypertrophy were compared with 111 patients with HCM, matched for sex, age and maximal wall thickness by propensity score. Independent ECG predictors of AFD were identified by multivariate analysis, and a multiparametric ECG score-based algorithm for differential diagnosis was developed.ResultsShort PR interval, prolonged QRS duration, right bundle branch block (RBBB), R in augmented vector left (aVL) ≥1.1 mV and inferior ST depression independently predicted AFD diagnosis. A point-by-point ECG score was then derived with the following diagnostic performances: c-statistic 0.80 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.86) for discrimination, the Hosmel-Lemeshow χ2 6.14 (p=0.189) for calibration, sensitivity 69%, specificity 84%, positive predictive value 82% and negative predictive value 72%. After bootstrap resampling, the mean optimism was 0.025, and the internal validated c-statistic for the score was 0.78.ConclusionsStandard ECG can help to differentiate AFD from HCM while investigating unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy. Short PR interval, prolonged QRS duration, RBBB, R in aVL ≥1.1 mV and inferior ST depression independently predicted AFD. Their systematic evaluation and the integration in a multiparametric ECG score can support AFD diagnosis.


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