"Arrhythmogenic" means causing an arrhythmia. With arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, the muscle of the right ventricle is replaced by fat and fibrous tissue. The electrical signal that keeps the heart beating regularly cannot pass through the abnormal fibrotic tissue, resulting in abnormal heart rhythms.
Treatment often involves medicine and/or placement of a pacemaker or an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) to help control the heart’s rhythm.
Jennifer Russell, MD, FRCPC