ARVD - YOUR OPINION GREATLY APPRECIATED

[italia64]

Thank you, for the reply regarding where to find information on this rare disease.  I have called CCF to make an appointment with Dr. Asher.  In the mean time I'd like your opinion on this MRI findings.  Please keep in mind that multiple stress test, holter monitors and echo (all in the past year) they are all normal. Only this MRI has come back with suspicion.  I have no history of ARVD in my family but I do have a great grandmother that died at the age of 25 in the early 1900. I am of italian descent. My only symptoms is PVC. No sob, no syncope, no vt. My parents are 80 and 70 years old.    

The right ventricular volume appear normal, however there is evidence of thinning of the mid and distal portion of the right ventricular wall as one approaches the cardiac apex.  On the dynamic images there is clearly a focal area of dyskinetic function of the mid wall with a small area of dyskinetic bluging that occurs at peak systole. This is very worrisome for RVD. No fatty infiltration of the wallis identified.  No pericardial effusion are noted. The LV appears unremarkable.

Impression:
Focal dyskinetic segment with evidence of righ ventricular wall thinning as described above very suspicious of right ventricular dysplasia.

I am also in contact w/ Dr. Calkins at John Hopkins also an expert in ARVD. I have heard that cardiac MRI unless they are read by doctors that are familiar with this conditions can be me misleading. The cardiac mri has not been around for that long and the discovery of this condition is also relatively new.  

What is your opinion?
Thank you.

[jacg]

go to www.arvd.org, it is a funded research diagnosis site

[italia64]

Debra, thank you for your comments.  I would like to correspondence w/you separately. My e-mail address is ***@****
Thanks

[debra21784]

Can't comment on your condition but can tell you Dr.Hugh Calkins is one of the leading expert EP cardiologist in the world.I have been his patient along with other members of the cardiology staff at Hopkins and can attest that they as well as Dr.Calkins do great works

[CCF-M.D.-RCJ]

italia38,

I would strongly encourage you to visit either Dr Asher or Dr Caulkins.  I know them both well and would recommend either of them, although I did not know that Dr Calkins had special interest in ARVD.  I agree with you that the interpretation of the MRI requires expert opinion.  Furthermore, isolated PVCs would not generally be enough to consider to consider a diagnosis of ARVD.

Good luck.