Delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging in isolated noncompaction of ventricular myocardium

Sirs: A 38-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of chest pain, shortness of breath (NYHA class II-III) and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia for further diagnostic procedures. Initial working diagnosis was dilated cardiomyopathy, and the differential diagnosis myocarditis.

She had no familial history of cardiovascular diseases or sudden cardiac death. Physical examination was unremarkable except for a fourth heart sound (S4 gallop). The ECG revealed sinus rhythm, normal QRS duration, and left ventricular hypertrophy with repolarization changes. Two dimensional and three dimensional echocardiography demonstrated prominent trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses in the apical and LV lateral walls (Fig. 1a, b). There was global left ventricular hypokinesia with an ejection fraction of 30%. Color doppler displayed flow within the deep intratrabecular recesses (Fig. 1c). Cardiac catheterization revealed global hypokinesia with reduced left ventricular ejection...