The Role of Clinical Observation: Red Flag 6 — Left Ventricular Non-Compaction

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is characterized by a pseudohypertrophic “spongy” left ventricle with deep trabeculations. It is considered to be a rare cardiomyopathy (CMP), with a prevalence of approximately 1:2,000 to 1:7,000 individuals. The condition shows excessive and unusually trabeculated myocardium within the mature heart muscle in the apical and midlateral/inferior portions of the left ventricle, which is usually hypokinetic (Fig. 8.1). LVNC represents a developmental failure of the heart to form the fully compact myocardium during the later stages of cardiac development.