ABSTRACT
While ischemic heart disease remains the main cause of progression to heart failure, almost 40% of heart failure patients have non-ischemic cardiomyopathy as the primary etiology of cardiac dysfunction. The term non-ischemic cardiomyopathy is quite heterogeneous and includes diverse conditions regarding etiology, pathophysiology, prognosis, and management. Advances in diagnostic modalities, including biomarkers, genetic testing and novel imaging techniques have facilitated timely and accurate diagnosis of these distinct conditions as well as patient management. In this chapter we (i) describe the various pathophysiologic pathways and clinical manifestations of these conditions, (ii) present the available methods for differential diagnosis, giving emphasis on novel imaging modalities, and (iii) propose a diagnostic algorithm that facilitates timely and accurate diagnosis that enables targeted treatment, when applicable.
