Cardiomyopathies

Big picture

Cardiomyopathies are myocardial diseases in which the heart muscle is structurally and/or functionally abnormal, not explained only by coronary artery disease, hypertension, valvular disease, or congenital heart disease. In exams, the key is to recognize the phenotype:

Dilated = weak big ventricle Hypertrophic = thick ventricle ± obstruction Restrictive = stiff ventricle with poor filling Arrhythmogenic = ventricular arrhythmias from fibrofatty replacement Takotsubo = transient stress-induced LV dysfunction

Modern ESC cardiomyopathy guidance uses a phenotype-based approach: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, arrhythmogenic, and non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy, then searches for the cause using family history, ECG, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, genetics, and targeted testing. ([European Society of Cardiology][1])

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