Types of Cardiomyopathies
Dilated (congestive) cardiomyopathy:
It is characterized by progressive cardiac hypertrophy, dilation and contractile (systolic) dysfunction resulting in failure of the ventricle to empty in systole. Most cases develop heart failure. The cause is not detectable in most of the cases. A few cases are associated with:- Viral infections e.g coxsackievirus B.
- Metabolie diseases e.g hypothyroidism hyperthyroidism and thiamine deficiency.
- Alcoholism.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
It also referred to as asymmetrical septal hypertrophy and idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. This condition is characterized by marked hypertrophy of the ventricular muscles with resistance to diastolic filling. Selective hypertrophy of the septum immediately below the aortic valve, obstructing the left ventricular outflow tract. Both ventricles are diffusely involved in most cases. In about 50% cases the disorder is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. The interventricular septum is substantially thicker than the free lateral wall of the left ventricle.Asymmetric hypertrophy is often associated with a significant degree of ventricular outflow obstruction during systole. In this group of patients, the systolic obstruction is caused by the abnormal anterior motion of the mitral valve leaflet during systole.