Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Last reviewed: 2 Sep 2023
Last updated: 10 Aug 2022

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • family history of HCM
  • history of presyncope or syncope
  • systolic ejection murmur
  • left ventricular lift
  • double apical impulse or double carotid pulsation
  • family history of sudden death
More key diagnostic factors

Other diagnostic factors

  • younger male (<50 years)
  • dyspnea
  • angina
  • palpitations
  • irregularly irregular pulse
  • older female (>50 years)
  • collapse
  • fourth heart sound
Other diagnostic factors

Risk factors

  • family history of HCM or sudden cardiac death
More risk factors

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • ECG
  • CXR
  • echocardiography
More 1st investigations to order

Investigations to consider

  • exercise ECG
  • Holter monitoring
  • nuclear imaging exercise test
  • CT coronary arteriography
  • cardiac catheterization
  • cardiac MRI
  • genetic mutation analysis
More investigations to consider

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

asymptomatic

ACUTE

symptomatic: predominant left ventricular (LV) outflow tract obstruction with preserved systolic function

symptomatic: predominant nonobstructive with preserved systolic function

ONGOING

symptomatic: end-stage heart failure with systolic dysfunction

Contributors

Authors

Theodore Abraham, MD

Professor of Medicine and Radiology

Meyer Friedman Distinguished Professor of Medicine

Co-director, UCSF HCM Center of Excellence

University of California

San Francisco

CA

Disclosures

TA declares that he has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Theodore Abraham would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Monica Mukherjee, Dr Melanie D. Everitt, and Dr Anji T. Yetman, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

MM, MDE, and ATY declare that they have no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Radhika Kuna, MD

Fellow

Division of Cardiology

University of Maryland Medical Center

Baltimore

MD

Disclosures

RK declares that she has no competing interests.

Saidi Mohiddin, BSc, MBChB

Consultant Cardiologist/Head of Unit

Heart Muscle Disease Unit

Barts and The London NHS Trust

London

UK

Disclosures

SM declares that he has no competing interests.

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