Aborted sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with low-risk factors for SCD

Remarkable advancements have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), since the first implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was placed in a human, more than 25 years ago to prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD). ICD has become the cornerstone in the management of HCM, with an ability to change the natural course of this complex disease. American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines have been charted out to help risk stratify asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic adults with HCM, in order to prevent SCD in such individuals. Our patient with left ventricular outflow tract gradient <30 mm Hg, left ventricular wall thickness < 30 mm, negative medical history of syncope and no family history of SCD, would have been at low risk for SCD.