Patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) have arrhythmia-related symptoms or are identified during screening of an affected family. Heart failure symptoms occur late in the disease’s natural history. As strenuous exercise has been associated with disease acceleration and worsening of ventricular arrhythmias, lifestyle modification with restricted athletic activities is recommended upon disease diagnosis or even identification of mutation carrier status. An episode of an haemodynamically unstable, sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation as well as severe systolic ventricular dysfunction constitute definitive indications for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation, which should also be considered following tolerated sustained or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia episodes, syncope, or in the presence of moderate ventricular dysfunction. Antiarrhythmic medications are used as an adjunct to device therapy. Catheter ablation is recommended for incessant ventricular tachycardia or frequent appropriate ICD interventions despite maximal pharmacological therapy. Amiodarone alone or in combination with beta blockers is most effective for symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias. Beta blockers are considered for use in all patients with a definite diagnosis but evidence for their prognostic benefit is sparse. Heart failure symptoms are managed using standard protocols and heart transplantation is considered for severe ventricular dysfunction or much less commonly uncontrollable ventricular arrhythmias.
An unmappable ventricular tachycardia in the arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: elucidation of critical isolated delayed components with high-resolution electroanatomical mapping
