Search

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy are more common and better understood than restrictive cardiomyopathy. In restrictive cardiomyopathy, there is decreased muscle compliance in the heart. While other forms of restrictive heart disease exist, such as endocardial fibroelastosis or amyloid heart disease, in which amyloid deposits affect the heart muscle, these are generally not included in the category of idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy, as the causes of these other conditions are evident. In a survey of 801 major hospitals in Japan, a total of 14 men and 12 women, ranging in age from 5 to 63 years, were identified with restrictive cardiomyopathy. In three cases, there was a family history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Within a mean follow-up of 145 months 10 patients died. While echocardiograms showed normal left ventricular thickness and contraction, all of the available pathologic specimens, whether autopsy or biopsy, showed some degree of fibrosis of the cardiac muscle. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)