27 research outputs found
Dilated cardiomyopathy of unknown cause in young patients: risk evaluation, possible etiologies, and treatment.
Childhood dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by a dilated left ventricle and systolic dysfunction, and in some patients also by right ventricle failure. It is a serious myocardial disease, usually idiopathic, but its infectious, metabolic and genetic aetiologies are increasingly revealed. DCM frequently results in heart failure and sometimes death. It is the most common form of cardiomyopathy and the most common reason for heart transplantation in children