title: Classification of the cardiomyopathies: a position statement from the European Society Of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases.
abstract: In biology, classification systems are used to promote understanding and systematic discussion through the use of logical groups and hierarchies. In clinical medicine, similar principles are used to standardise the nomenclature of disease. For more than three decades, heart muscle diseases have been classified into primary or idiopathic myocardial diseases (cardiomyopathies) and secondary disorders that have similar morphological appearances, but which are caused by an identifiable pathology such as coronary artery disease or myocardial infiltration (specific heart muscle diseases). In this document, The European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases presents an update of the existing classification scheme. The aim is to help clinicians look beyond generic diagnostic labels in order to reach more specific diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Hadassah University Hospital Ein Kerem, Kirjat Hadassah, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
authors.forename: Perry
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Eloisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arbustini
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bilinska
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cecchi
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Charron
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dubourg
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kühl
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maisch
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monserrat
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pankuweit
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rapezzi
authors.forename: Petar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seferovic
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavazzi
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keren
mesh_terms: D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D012955:Societies, Medical; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000145:classification*