Increased amount of interstitial fibrosis predicts ventricular arrhythmias, and is associated with reduced myocardial septal function in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Total amount of fibrosis was a marker of ventricular arrhythmias in obstructive HCM-patients. Interstitial fibrosis seemed to be more important compared with replacement fibrosis in arrhythmogenesis, and was related to reduced septal myocardial function. These findings suggest that interstitial fibrosis may play an important role as the arrhythmogenic substrate, and that strain echocardiography can help detection of patients at risk.