Open AccessÜBER DIE IDIOPATHISCHE KARDIOMYOPATHIE – PATHOLOGISCHE UNTERSUCHUNG VON 16 FÄLLEN –
Author(s) -
IMAI Miki,
TAKEISHI Makoto,
HIEAYAMA Akira,
TOYODA Chisato,
KOYAMA Kazuko,
MITKAI Miwako,
ASAHI Mitsuhisa
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
acta patholigica japonica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 0001-6632
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1970.tb02743.x
Subject(s) - scars , medicine , endocardial fibroelastosis , muscle hypertrophy , cardiomyopathy , pathology , hypertrophic cardiomyopathy , cardiology , heart failure
The present study consists of 16 cases of idiopathic cardiomyopathy ranging between 7 to 68 years of age. All cases demonstrated moderate degree of dilatatory hypertrophy of both ventricles with some having mural thrombosis. Over‐all distribution of scar and degeneration of heart muscle cells was considered to be the characteristic features of idiopathic cardiomyopathy. A variety of transitional changes between myocardial degeneration and collagenous scars were found in the younger age group, and fall‐off of myocardium was interpreted to result in scar formation. Hypertrophy of heart muscle cells is a compensatory phenomenon following partial fall‐off of muscle cells. Vacuolar changes, deposition of waxlike substance and bizarre nuclei found in the hypertrophic muscle cells are in general not characteristic for this condition. One must be careful in differentiating idiopathic cardiomyopathy and mitral insufficiency having multiple scars and of rheumatic nature from both clinical and pathologic standpoints. Endocardial fibroelastosis should not be included in the entity of idiopathic cardiomyopathy, since the role played by the myocardium in the pathologic process is much less in endocardial fibroelastosis. ACTA PATH. JAP. 20: 153–169, 1970.