Cardiomyopathy I: Introduction and Classification

Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that affect the myocardial structure, impairing its ability to pump blood effectively, which can cause arrhythmias and heart failure.

It is classified into primary and secondary types.

Primary cardiomyopathy includes idiopathic conditions and genetic factors that affect the heart muscle.

Secondary cardiomyopathy occurs when other disease processes, such as coronary artery disease or systemic conditions like amyloidosis, affect the myocardium.

The common types of cardiomyopathies include the following:

Dilated cardiomyopathy is marked by ventricular enlargement and systolic dysfunction.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy involves thickening of the heart muscle, especially the interventricular septum, which can obstruct blood flow and impair diastolic function.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy is characterized by a rigid heart muscle that restricts ventricular filling during diastole while maintaining normal systolic function.

Lastly, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy involves the progressive replacement of the right ventricular myocardial cells with fibrous and adipose tissue, leading to right ventricular dilation.