Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 21

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (CMH) is characterized by unexplained cardiac hypertrophy: thickening of the myocardial wall in the absence of any other identifiable cause for left ventricular hypertrophy such as systemic hypertension or valvular heart disease. Myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, and fibrosis are the histopathologic hallmarks of this disorder. Clinical features are diverse and include arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, and heart failure. With an estimated prevalence of 1 in 500, CMH is the most common cardiovascular genetic disease and the most common cause of sudden death in competitive athletes in the United States (summary by Song et al., 2006). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, see CMH1 (192600). [from OMIM]