Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a cardiac muscle disorder known to predominantly affect the left ventricle (LV) of the heart. Recent literature has emphasized the importance of right ventricular abnormalities on clinical outcomes. This study aims to use cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging to investigate the relationship between left ventricular mass and visually observed right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) in a large, tertiary care center cohort of patients with HCM spanning 20 years. Out of 1473 patients with HCM who underwent CMR imaging, 852 patients matched the inclusion criteria of the study. 3 trained observers traced the LV and RV contours for these patients using a semi-automated method while simultaneously recording visually appreciated RVH. The data was then analyzed using the t-test to compare the means of the groups. Patients with visually observed RVH had higher LV mass compared to those without RVH (p<0.0001). This correlation persisted in both systole and diastole, regardless of whether papillary muscles were considered a part of the blood pool or the myocardium. Results provide promising preliminary data on the relationship between the LV and RV mass in patients with HCM.