Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate by ICE patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dys-plasia and to bring supplementary diagnostic elements to the usual diagnostic methods like transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac MRI and right ventricular angiography.
Methods: Between 2016 and 2018 five patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia were ad-mitted to our cardiology department for implantation of an ICD. All 5 patients had ventricular tachycardia and received cardiac MRI prior to implantation of the defibrillator. In 2 out of 5, intracardiac ultrasound was performed using the ViewFlex Xtra Saint Jude probe for the first patient and ULTRA ICE Plus Boston Scien-tific for the second.
Results: All 5 patients presented changes in the struc-ture and function of the right ventricle in cardiac MRI: adipose deposits and myocardial fibrosis, segmental dilatations and aneurysms, segmental and global VD dysfunction. Angiography has identified ventricular dilatation and aneurysm. In addition to the above exa-minations, intracardiac ultrasound in the two patients provided elements to support the diagnosis of dys-plasia: the disappearance of ventricular trabeculations in both patients, both at the apex and at the level of the infundibulum and RVOT, thinning of the ventricu-lar myocardium, segmental dilatations at the apex and RVOT and an antero-lateral aneurysm with a throm-bus in one patient.
Conclusions: Compared to cardiac MRI and RV an-giography, intracardiac ultrasound provides additional diagnostic information on the ventricular wall structu-re and RV function. Segmental or global dilatations can be precisely located within the right ventricle or right ventricular outflow tract.