title: Endomyocardial biopsy.
abstract: Cardiac biopsies are being undertaken with increased frequency in recent years. The present review concentrates mainly upon the role of this technique in the more accurate classification and diagnosis of the cardiomyopathies. In addition the quality of biopsy material and the degree to which it represents the overall cardiac pathological changes are presented.
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000473:pathology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure