Exercise-induced left-ventricular hypertrabeculation in athlete's heart

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a cardiomyopathy characterized by increased LV trabeculation and intertrabecular recesses, associated with progressive LV dilatation, systolic and diastolic impairment, life-threatening arrhythmias, and thromboembolic events [1,2]. Implementation of cardiac imaging techniques (e.g., echocardiography) in the cardiovascular screening has revealed increased LV trabeculation in a large, unsuspected prevalence of competitive athletes, with a morphologic pattern fulfilling the conventional echocardiographic criteria for LVNC [3].