What diagnostic method is used to confirm arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?

The confirmation of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) relies significantly on cardiac MRI, which provides high-resolution images of the heart's structure and function. This imaging modality is especially valuable in identifying characteristic features of ARVC, such as localized areas of fibrofatty replacement of the right ventricle.

Cardiac MRI can also assess the right ventricle's size and function, which may exhibit abnormalities in patients with ARVC. It is particularly useful because it can capture changes in myocardial tissue composition that would not be visible on an echocardiogram or electrocardiogram. While echocardiography can be helpful in assessing ventricular function, it may miss subtle or early structural changes that MRI can detect. An electrocardiogram might show arrhythmias indicative of ARVC, but it does not provide direct confirmation of the structural abnormalities associated with the condition. A stress test may assess functional capacity or provoke arrhythmias, but it does not serve as a diagnostic tool for confirming ARVC itself.

Thus, cardiac MRI is recognized as the most definitive and non-invasive method for confirming the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, making it the best choice among the options presented.