Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the world's leading cause of death, with 18.6 million people dying each year. Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, as well as air pollution and less common diseases including Chagas disease and cardiac amyloidosis, are also contributing factors. On this World Heart Day, we present a unique image challenge to tickle your brain. Case presentation: A 19-year-old basketball player suddenly collapses on the court. He was successfully revived and admitted to the hospital.
A cardiac monitor detects ventricular tachycardia, followed by ventricular fibrillation. According to the patient's medical history, his father died suddenly when he was 38 years old. Echocardiography of the boy's heart indicates a thicker left ventricular wall and a narrow slit-like chamber. The interventricular septum has also thickened noticeably. After five…
