Der Radiologe
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Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy is a congenital disease that may present with sudden cardiac death as the first manifestation. Standards for the difficult clinical diagnosis are the so-called modified Task Force criteria that incorporate imaging-based, electrocardiographic and anamnestic information. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard technique for imaging of the right ventricle and can compliment the recent ARVD/C diagnosis criteria by providing exact information on right ventricular size and function. ⋯ Furthermore, MRI is able to identify areas of fatty or fibrous replacement within the right ventricular myocardium in a non-invasive way. However, a suspicion of ARVD/C cannot be confirmed or excluded based on MRI findings alone. In clinical routine cardiac MRI is an enormously important component in the ARVD/C diagnostic toolbox; however, MRI can only act as one part of the diagnostic puzzle and should exclusively be performed by experienced centers using specifically tailored protocols.