Early Detection of Genetic Cardiomyopathies in Relatives | 135 Figure 4. Reported early findings in relatives of ACM patients The findings with echocardiographic defromation imaging that are reported in relatives of ACM patients are reduced RV free wall strain, increased RV mechanical dispersion, alterations in regional RV deformation, and alterations in LV deformation. ACM, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy; GLS, global longitudinal strain; LV, left ventricle/ventricular; RV, right ventricle/ventricular. Clinical implications and future perspectives Early detection of disease expression in relatives of patients with a genetic cardiomyopathy is of great importance, as these relatives are at risk of detrimental adverse events such as sudden cardiac death. Based on currently available literature, deformation imaging enables identification of an early disease substrate in these relatives. This seems to be true across 7
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