ABSTRACT
The cardiomyopathies are a group of chronic progressive diseases in which the dominant feature is direct involvement of the heart muscle associated with cardiac dysfunction.
CLASSIFICATION
Based on morphology, physiology, and etiology they can be divided into four main types: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD). The cardiomyopathies that do not fall into any of these categories are placed in the unclassified section.
