title: Familial dilated (congestive) cardiomyopathy. Occurrence in two brothers and an overview of the literature.
abstract: Two young White brothers had dilated (congestive) cardiomyopathy. The elder came to autopsy after a chronic course of congestive cardiac failure, the younger underwent repeated cardiac catheterization and transvenous right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy specimens demonstrated histopathological features in keeping with a diagnosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. These brothers may have the familial form of the disease, although post-viral myocarditis cardiomyopathy cannot be entirely excluded. The literature relating to familial dilated (congestive) cardiomyopathy is reviewed.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology