Prevalence of T-wave inversion beyond V1 in young normal individuals and usefulness for the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia

T-wave inversion in precordial leads V-1 to V-3 is present in <.3% of apparently healthy subjects who are 19 to 45 years of age but is present in 87% of patients who have arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia. T-wave inversion in lead V-2 or V-3 in a young or middle-aged patients who have no apparent heart disease but do have ventricular arrhythmias of left bundle branch morphology should raise the suspicion of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia. (c) 2005 by Excerpta Medica Inc.