Important
It is possible that the main title of the report Pediatric Cardiomyopathy is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the nate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.
Synonyms
arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
asymmetrical septal hypertrophy
familial congestive cardiomyopathy
familial dilated cardiomyopathy (FDC)
hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)
idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy
idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis
non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Disorder Subdivisions
arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD)
dilated cardiomyopathy
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
restrictive cardiomyopathy
General Discussion
Pediatric cardiomyopathy is a rare heart condition that affects infants and children. Specifically, cardiomyopathy means disease of the heart muscle (myocardium). Several different types of cardiomyopathy exist and the specific symptoms vary from case to case. In some cases, no symptoms may be present (asymptomatic); in many cases, cardiomyopathy is a progressive condition that may result in an impaired ability of the heart to pump blood; fatigue; heart block; irregular heartbeats (tachycardia); and, potentially, heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
Cardiomyopathy may be termed ischemic or nonischemic. Ischemic cardiomyopathy refers to cases that occur due to a lack of blood flow and oxygen (ischemia) to the heart. Such cases often result from hardening of the arteries (coronary artery disease). Nonischemic cardiomyopathy refers to cases that occur due to structural damage or malfunction of the heart muscle. Nearly all cases of pediatric cardiomyopathy are nonischemic. This report deals with nonischemic pediatric cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy may also be termed primary or secondary. Primary cardiomyopathy refers to cases where cardiomyopathy occurs by itself or for unknown reasons (idiopathic). Secondary cardiomyopathy refers to cases where the disease occurs secondary to a known cause such as heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis) caused by viral or bacterial infections; exposure to certain toxins such as heavy metals or excessive alcohol use; or certain disorders that affect the heart and/or additional organs systems. According to the Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry, approximately 79 percent of pediatric cardiomyopathy cases occur for unknown reasons (idiopathic).
Nonischemic cardiomyopathy may be further divided into four subtypes based upon the specific changes within the heart. These subtypes are: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.
