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Cardiomyopathies in Children

Background

Cardiomyopathy is a weakening of the heart muscle or a change in heart muscle structure. It is often associated with inadequate heart pumping or other heart function problems. There are several different types of cardiomyopathy:

  • hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) − the heart muscle is thicker
  • dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) − the heart muscle is thinner and the heart does not pump as well
  • arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) − areas of the heart muscle are replaced by fat cells and scar tissue. Usually the heart’s right pumping chamber (the right ventricle) is affected and this can cause heart rhythm problems
  • restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) − the heart muscle is stiffer and its ability to relax and refill with blood between beats is reduced.

What are the symptoms?  View What are the symptoms?

Medical text written October 2011 by Professor WJ McKenna, Director, Inherited Cardiovascular Disease Unit, The Heart Hospital, London, UK.

 

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