Pathology of primary cardiomyopathies ECKHARDT

Congestive cardiomyopathy The hearts are usually hypertrophic and all chambers are dilated, often to a severe degree. Conventional measurements of ventricular wall thickness may fall within the normal range, due to dilatation masking the severe degree of hypertrophy which may be present. Endocardial thickening may be widespread and is of a non-specific variety, consisting of fibro-elastic tissue. Thrombus may be superimposed which can reduce the ventricular cavity size. Careful examination of the left ventricular wall will frequently show some fibrous replacement of myocardial muscle limited to the inner third of the myocardium. These changes are best seen in the left ventricle, but they may also be observed in the right ventricle where they are less severe (Fig. 1).