Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41906579›Full record

ArticleJACC. Case reports2026

Electroanatomical Mapping May Identify Concealed Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy in Endurance Athletes With Complex Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Boris Delpire, Dagmara Dilling-Boer, Olivier Ghekiere, Pieter Koopman, Peter Peytchev, Tom De Potter, Hein Heidbuchel, Andre La Gerche, Rik Willems, Guido Claessen

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in JACC. Case reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Boris DelpireJessa Hospital, Department of Cardiology and Jessa & Science, Hasselt, Belgium; UHasselt, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences/LCRC, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: boris.delpire@uhasselt.be.
Dagmara Dilling-BoerJessa Hospital, Department of Cardiology and Jessa & Science, Hasselt, Belgium.
Olivier GhekiereUHasselt, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences/LCRC, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Department of Radiology, Jessa Ziekenhuis, Hasselt, Belgium.
Pieter KoopmanJessa Hospital, Department of Cardiology and Jessa & Science, Hasselt, Belgium.
Peter PeytchevCardiovascular Center, AZORG, Aalst, Belgium.
Tom De PotterCardiovascular Center, AZORG, Aalst, Belgium.
Hein HeidbuchelDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Andre La GercheHeart, Exercise and Research Trials (HEART) Lab, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Cardiology, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, Australia.
Rik WillemsDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Guido ClaessenJessa Hospital, Department of Cardiology and Jessa & Science, Hasselt, Belgium; UHasselt, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences/LCRC, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Highly trained endurance athletes can develop complex ventricular arrhythmias despite normal structural cardiac imaging, creating major diagnostic challenges. This case series describes 3 young cyclists presenting with symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias from the right ventricle (RV), in whom conventional investigations, including transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance, revealed no structural abnormalities. Prolonged rhythm monitoring prompted electroanatomical mapping, which revealed discrete to diffuse low-voltage areas across the RV outflow tract, RV inferior wall, and apex; findings compatible with an arrhythmogenic substrate and raising the possibility of early or concealed arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. All 3 athletes had long-standing exposure to high-intensity endurance training, which may be relevant in susceptible individuals, although no causal relationship can be inferred from these cases. These observations highlight the limitations of relying solely on conventional imaging in athletes with persistent symptomatic arrhythmias and suggest that, in carefully selected cases, prolonged rhythm monitoring and electroanatomical mapping may offer complementary diagnostic insights when concealed arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is suspected.

Indexed as

arrhythmiasarrhythmogenic cardiomyopathyathletesHRM spikesrhythm monitoringsports cardiology

Identifiers

PMID41906579
PMCPMC13045563

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.