Cardiomyopathies

Abstract Cardiomyopathies are defined as a myocardial disorder with a structurally and functionally abnormal heart muscle in the absence of coronary artery disease, valvular disease, hypertension, and congenital heart disease. Based on morphological and functional phenotypes, and according to the 2008 European Society of Cardiology classification of cardiomyopathies, these are grouped into hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and unclassified cardiomyopathies. In addition, each cardiomyopathy is subclassified into familial and non-familial forms. CT may be a useful alternative to echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of cardiomyopathies. Important CT findings include myocardial tissue abnormalities, abnormal ejection fraction and volumes, exclusion of underlying coronary or valvular disease, and abnormal myocardial perfusion/myocardial fibrosis.