Sudden infant death syndrome and left ventricular hypertrabeculation-hidden arrhythmogenic entity?

Abstract

Left ventricular noncompaction/hypertrabeculation is a condition which is characterized by a highly trabeculated, “spongy” myocardium. It can present at any age with heart failure, arrhythmia and/or thromboembolic events. A wide variety of mutations have been found to be a cause of hypertrabeculation and it is possible that there is a continuum of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrabeculation/noncompaction. We present a case of left ventricular hypertrabeculation which presented as sudden infant death syndrome and we propose that this entity may be a hidden cause of arrhythmic death in some infants presenting as sudden infant death syndrome.