Left Ventricular Hypertrabeculation and Prognosis in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

N Nerea Mora-Ayestarán (Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (IDIPHIM), Madrid, Spain (N.M.-A., N.R.-L., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) N Noemi Ramos-Lopez (Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (IDIPHIM), Madrid, Spain (N.M.-A., N.R.-L., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) J Juan Pablo Ochoa (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain (N.R.-L., J.P.O., A.G.-Á., P.G.-P.).) A Amaia Yuan Ibargoyen (Department of Cardiology, Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (A.Y.I., M.S., G.L.-L., M.T.B.-E.).) E Eduard Claver-Garrido (Bioheart Group, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Systemic Diseases and Cellular Aging Program, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL; E.C.-G., C.D.-L., A.D.), l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.) C Cristina Gómez-González (Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., E.R.G., M.A.E.-C.).) A Ahmad S. Amin (Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Heart Failure & Arrhythmias, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.S.A., E.P., C.R.B.).) M María Gallego-Delgado (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) G Guillem Casas-Masnou (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) M Marina Navarro-Peñalver (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) J Jose María Larrañaga-Moreira (Unidad de Cardiopatías Familiares, Servicio de Cardiología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, Spain (J.M.L.-M., R.B.-V.).) J José Manuel García-Pinilla (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) F Francisco J. Bermudez-Jimenez (Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain (F.J.B.-J.).) M Maria Victoria Mogollón-Jiménez (Department of Cardiology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Cáceres, Spain (M.V.M.-J.).) G Gonzalo Cabezón-Villalba (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) A Antoni Bayés-Genís V Vicente Climent-Payá (Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Cardiology Department, Dr Balmis General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain (V.C.-P.).) R Rafael Salguero-Bodes (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) A Ana García-Álvarez (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, Madrid) M María Brion R Ramon Brugada (Cardiology, Cardiac Genetics Clinical Unit, Hospital Universitari Josep Trueta, Hospital Santa Caterina, Girona, Spain (R.B.).) E Esther Zorio (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) T Tomas Ripoll-Vera M Maria Luisa Peña-Peña (General Hospital of H.U. Virgen Del Rocio, Seville, Spain) A Ana Royuela M Miriam Sánchez (Department of Cardiology, Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (A.Y.I., M.S., G.L.-L., M.T.B.-E.).) C Carles Diez-Lopez (Bioheart Group, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Systemic Diseases and Cellular Aging Program, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL; E.C.-G., C.D.-L., A.D.), l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.) E Elena Rodríguez González (Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., E.R.G., M.A.E.-C.).) E Edwin Poel (Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Heart Failure & Arrhythmias, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.S.A., E.P., C.R.B.).) E Eduardo Villacorta (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) J Javier Limeres-Freire (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) M María Sabater-Molina R Roberto Barriales-Villa (Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, CIBERCV–Instituto de Salud Carlos III, A Coruña, Spain) G Gemma Lacuey-Lecumberri (Department of Cardiology, Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (A.Y.I., M.S., G.L.-L., M.T.B.-E.).) A Andrea Di Marco (Bioheart Group, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Systemic Diseases and Cellular Aging Program, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL; E.C.-G., C.D.-L., A.D.), l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.) M María Angeles Espinosa-Castro (Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., E.R.G., M.A.E.-C.).) C Connie R. Bezzina J José F. Rodríguez-Palomares (CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) M María Teresa Basurte-Elorz (Department of Cardiology, Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (A.Y.I., M.S., G.L.-L., M.T.B.-E.).) J Jesus G. Mirelis (Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (IDIPHIM), Madrid, Spain (N.M.-A., N.R.-L., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).) P Pablo Garcia-Pavia (Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro–Segovia de Arana, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Cardiovaculares, and Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) hypertrabeculation, formerly termed LV noncompaction, is a heterogeneous myocardial entity linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. This study evaluated embolic risk in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) according to the presence of hypertrabeculation and examined its prevalence and prognostic relevance across DCM genotypes. METHODS: Clinical data from 1160 patients with DCM evaluated by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and genetic testing (n=997 [86%]) were collected from 22 international centers. End points included embolic events, advanced heart failure events, and major ventricular arrhythmias. RESULTS: LV hypertrabeculation was identified in 354 patients (30.5%) by fractal analysis and in 343 (29.7%) according to Petersen criteria, with good concordance. After a median follow-up of 5.1 years (interquartile range, 2.8–7.4), embolic events occurred in 37 patients (3.2%), advanced heart failure in 62 (5.3%), and major ventricular arrhythmias in 136 (11.7%). Hypertrabeculation was not associated with increased embolic risk (hazard ratio, 1.5 [95% CI, 0.75–3.00]), even among patients in sinus rhythm with LV ejection fraction ≤40% (hazard ratio, 1.89 [95% CI, 0.7–5.5]). In contrast, atrial fibrillation and reduced LV ejection fraction were associated with embolic events (both P <0.01). LV hypertrabeculation was not associated with an increased risk of major ventricular arrhythmias or advanced heart failure; genotype, LV ejection fraction, and late gadolinium enhancement emerged as the main predictors of adverse outcomes. The prevalence of LV hypertrabeculation varied across genotypes, with the highest prevalence observed in patients with sequence variants in motor sarcomeric genes (58%), TTN (38%), and genotype-negative status (33%), and the lowest prevalence observed among those with variants in cytoskeletal/Z-disk (7%) and nuclear envelope (5%) genes. Hypertrabeculation was not associated with adverse outcomes within any genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Although LV hypertrabeculation is common in DCM, it is not associated with worse outcomes and should not prompt differential clinical management. The embolic risk in patients with DCM and hypertrabeculation is low, including in those with reduced LV ejection fraction without atrial fibrillation, and does not support prophylactic anticoagulation in these patients.

Article Details

Journal Circulation
Volume / Issue Vol. 154, Issue 5
Published August 04, 2026
Pages 440-453
ISSN 0009-7322
Publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Journal Info

Circulation

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

ISSN: 0009-7322 Health Sciences

Authors (41)

N

Nerea Mora-Ayestarán

Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (IDIPHIM), Madrid, Spain (N.M.-A., N.R.-L., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

N

Noemi Ramos-Lopez

Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (IDIPHIM), Madrid, Spain (N.M.-A., N.R.-L., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

J

Juan Pablo Ochoa

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain (N.R.-L., J.P.O., A.G.-Á., P.G.-P.).

A

Amaia Yuan Ibargoyen

Department of Cardiology, Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (A.Y.I., M.S., G.L.-L., M.T.B.-E.).

E

Eduard Claver-Garrido

Bioheart Group, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Systemic Diseases and Cellular Aging Program, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL; E.C.-G., C.D.-L., A.D.), l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.

C

Cristina Gómez-González

Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., E.R.G., M.A.E.-C.).

A

Ahmad S. Amin

Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Heart Failure & Arrhythmias, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.S.A., E.P., C.R.B.).

M

María Gallego-Delgado

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

G

Guillem Casas-Masnou

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

M

Marina Navarro-Peñalver

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

J

Jose María Larrañaga-Moreira

Unidad de Cardiopatías Familiares, Servicio de Cardiología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, Spain (J.M.L.-M., R.B.-V.).

J

José Manuel García-Pinilla

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

F

Francisco J. Bermudez-Jimenez

Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain (F.J.B.-J.).

M

Maria Victoria Mogollón-Jiménez

Department of Cardiology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Cáceres, Spain (M.V.M.-J.).

G

Gonzalo Cabezón-Villalba

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

A

Antoni Bayés-Genís

V

Vicente Climent-Payá

Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Cardiology Department, Dr Balmis General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain (V.C.-P.).

R

Rafael Salguero-Bodes

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

A

Ana García-Álvarez

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, Madrid

M

María Brion

R

Ramon Brugada

Cardiology, Cardiac Genetics Clinical Unit, Hospital Universitari Josep Trueta, Hospital Santa Caterina, Girona, Spain (R.B.).

E

Esther Zorio

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

T

Tomas Ripoll-Vera

M

Maria Luisa Peña-Peña

General Hospital of H.U. Virgen Del Rocio, Seville, Spain

A

Ana Royuela

M

Miriam Sánchez

Department of Cardiology, Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (A.Y.I., M.S., G.L.-L., M.T.B.-E.).

C

Carles Diez-Lopez

Bioheart Group, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Systemic Diseases and Cellular Aging Program, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL; E.C.-G., C.D.-L., A.D.), l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.

E

Elena Rodríguez González

Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., E.R.G., M.A.E.-C.).

E

Edwin Poel

Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Heart Failure & Arrhythmias, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.S.A., E.P., C.R.B.).

E

Eduardo Villacorta

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

J

Javier Limeres-Freire

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

M

María Sabater-Molina

R

Roberto Barriales-Villa

Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, CIBERCV–Instituto de Salud Carlos III, A Coruña, Spain

G

Gemma Lacuey-Lecumberri

Department of Cardiology, Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (A.Y.I., M.S., G.L.-L., M.T.B.-E.).

A

Andrea Di Marco

Bioheart Group, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Systemic Diseases and Cellular Aging Program, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL; E.C.-G., C.D.-L., A.D.), l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.

M

María Angeles Espinosa-Castro

Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., E.R.G., M.A.E.-C.).

C

Connie R. Bezzina

J

José F. Rodríguez-Palomares

CIBER Cardiovascular, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (C.G.-G., M.G.-D., G.C.-M., M.N.-P., J.M.G.-P., G.C.-V., A.B.-G., R.S.-B., A.G.-Á., M.B., E.Z., E.R.G., E.V., J.L.-F., M.S.-M., R.B.-V., A.D., M.A.E.-C., J.F.R.-P., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

M

María Teresa Basurte-Elorz

Department of Cardiology, Área del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (A.Y.I., M.S., G.L.-L., M.T.B.-E.).

J

Jesus G. Mirelis

Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (IDIPHIM), Madrid, Spain (N.M.-A., N.R.-L., J.G.M., P.G.-P.).

P

Pablo Garcia-Pavia

Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro–Segovia de Arana, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Cardiovaculares, and Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid