CMR for Identifying the Substrate of Ventricular Arrhythmia in Patients With Normal Echocardiography

Abstract Objectives This study sought to determine whether cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) may identify structural heart disease (SHD) in patients with ventricular arrhythmia who had echocardiography ruled out pathological findings. Background Approximately one-half of sudden cardiac deaths are attributable to malignant VA. Echocardiography is commonly used to identify SHD that is the most frequent substrate of VA. Methods A single-center prospective study was conducted in consecutive patients with significant VA, categorized as >1,000 but  Results A total of 946 patients were enrolled (mean 41 ± 16 years of age; 64% men). CMR studies were used to diagnose SHD in 241 patients (25.5%) and abnormal findings not specific for a definite SHD diagnosis in 187 patients (19.7%). Myocarditis (n = 91) was the more frequent disease, followed by arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (n = 55), dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 39), ischemic heart disease (n = 22), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 13), congenital cardiac disease (n = 10), left ventricle noncompaction (n = 5), and pericarditis (n = 5). The strongest univariate and multivariate predictors of SHD on CMR images were chest pain (odds ratios [OR]: 2.52 and 2.38, respectively) and SVT (ORs: 2.67 and 2.23, respectively). Conclusions SHD was able to be identified on CMR imaging in a sizable number of patients with significant VA and completely normal echocardiography. Chest pain and SVT were the strongest predictors of positive CMR imaging results.