What causes Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia?
The cause of ARVD is unknown. It occurs in about 1 in 5,000 people. ARVD can occur with no family history, although often it runs in families. A family history of ARVD is present in at least 30 to 50 percent of cases. Therefore, it is recommended that family members of an ARVD patient should be tested. First- and second-degree family members (parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece) should be evaluated carefully for this form of cardiomyopathy, even in the absence of symptoms. Researchers have found two patterns of inheritance for ARVD: • Autosomal dominant – When one parent has ARVD. Studies show that in these families, the family members have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the condition, although the symptoms and age of onset may be different between family members. ARVD is more prevalent in some geographic locations, such as Italy. • Autosomal recessive – Characterized by the symptoms of ARVD listed above. One parent with the autosomal recessive gen
