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What Do The Following ECHO Reports Indicate?
Question: If I was to send you 3 ECHOs that have been done on me in the past several months would be able to tell me if I have Hyperthropic cardiomyopathy?Was diagnosed with it and now out of the blue cardiologist says there is nothing wrong from a cardiac standpoint. I have the symptoms. Heart murmur diagnosed when I was in Jr High and had asthma as a child.
Echos are attached
Echos are attached
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear XXXX!
Welcome on HCM!
I passed carefully through your uploaded medical history and cardiac ultrasound reports.
In all the uploaded tests, there consistently exists increased interventricular septum thickness of > 15 mm and also increased pressure gradients through LVOT (left ventricular outflow tract, though it seems to be not a significantly increased value).
Coming to this point, it looks that there exist sufficient criteria for confirming hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
From the other side, there exist some inconsistencies between several echo reports; in the previous echos there appear atrial chambers enlargement, meanwhile in the last one (08/28/2016) atrial chambers result within normal dimensions, which is not logical and physiologically based.
Also, as you have a history of hypertension, which is a well-known reason for left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy, it is necessary to carefully differentiate between a real hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or a hidden secondary cause of interventricular septum hypertrophy (hypertension, some infiltrative, systemic or depositing disorder, like amyloidosis, glycogen storage disorders, Fabry disease, etc.)
In order to properly and definitely quantify each of the structural heart components (wall thickness, heart chamber dimensions, valvular functions, possible detection of secondary myocardial deposists, etc), I WOULD RECOMMEND PERFORMING A CARDIAC MRI utilizing special modalities for detecting also potential myocardial depositing disorders (which give a false cardiac wall hypertrophy).
Also, genetic testing (for possible mutations), coupled with ECG changes due to hypertrophy and clinical symptomatology are important to definitely classify a suggestive echo finding as a primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or a secondary
cardiac disorder (from a systemic disease).
You should talk with your attending cardiologist on the above mentioned issues.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
In case of any further uncertainties, do not hesitate to ask me again.
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear XXXX!
Welcome on HCM!
I passed carefully through your uploaded medical history and cardiac ultrasound reports.
In all the uploaded tests, there consistently exists increased interventricular septum thickness of > 15 mm and also increased pressure gradients through LVOT (left ventricular outflow tract, though it seems to be not a significantly increased value).
Coming to this point, it looks that there exist sufficient criteria for confirming hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
From the other side, there exist some inconsistencies between several echo reports; in the previous echos there appear atrial chambers enlargement, meanwhile in the last one (08/28/2016) atrial chambers result within normal dimensions, which is not logical and physiologically based.
Also, as you have a history of hypertension, which is a well-known reason for left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy, it is necessary to carefully differentiate between a real hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or a hidden secondary cause of interventricular septum hypertrophy (hypertension, some infiltrative, systemic or depositing disorder, like amyloidosis, glycogen storage disorders, Fabry disease, etc.)
In order to properly and definitely quantify each of the structural heart components (wall thickness, heart chamber dimensions, valvular functions, possible detection of secondary myocardial deposists, etc), I WOULD RECOMMEND PERFORMING A CARDIAC MRI utilizing special modalities for detecting also potential myocardial depositing disorders (which give a false cardiac wall hypertrophy).
Also, genetic testing (for possible mutations), coupled with ECG changes due to hypertrophy and clinical symptomatology are important to definitely classify a suggestive echo finding as a primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or a secondary
cardiac disorder (from a systemic disease).
You should talk with your attending cardiologist on the above mentioned issues.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
In case of any further uncertainties, do not hesitate to ask me again.
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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