48. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Organ: Heart
Description:
Two sections of a heart can be seen. On both section, but especially on the right, is it obvious that the septum is severely thickened, to the point where it bulges into the left ventricle. The left ventricle ends up with a banana-shaped lumen.
Diagnosis: Obstructive type of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Causes:
- Genetic mutations
Theory:
In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the heart as a whole hypertrophied, however the septum is 3x as hypertrophied as the rest. This causes the septum to become severely thickened and bulge into the left ventricle.
In 1/3 of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies are of the obstructive type, where the septum can completely compress the aorta, which causes the blood pressure to drop so significantly that syncope occurs. This only happens occasionally, but sudden syncope is a characteristic finding in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
