Onbegrepen rechterventrikeldilatatie verklaard door een contusio cordis vele jaren daarvoor

- In a 52-year-old man with new onset atrial fibrillation, transthoracic echocardiography showed an isolated, considerably dilated right ventricle. Frequent causes of right ventricular dilatation were ruled out. The image-forming investigation showed an isolated dilation of the ventral part of the heart, which, in combination with a blunt chest trauma 30 years previously, led to a previous cardiac contusion being suspected. In accordance with this hypothesis myocardial scintigraphy showed asymmetric hypertrophy of the right ventricular wall, which is consistent with the remodeling that occurs in response to injured cardiac tissue. After electrical cardioversion sinus rhythm was obtained; the patient remained symptom free.