Abstract
One hundred thirty-six patients diagnosed as idiopathic cardiomyopathy between April 1974 and July 1983. at the Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University Hospital, were followed for an average of 36.6 months. During this period, 21 patients died, while 25 were lost to follow-up. The five-year survival rate was 94.0% in hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy (HCM), 74.3% in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and 70.7% in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), respectively. Eleven of 21 deaths were sudden and unexpected, while seven cases of DCM and one of HOCM died of congestive heart failure. An increased cardiothoracic ratio on x-ray film suggested a poor prognosis in DCM, but echocardiographic measurements of left atrial and left ventricular dimensions as well as the left ventricular ejection fraction were not useful for prognostic predictions. Thromboembolism was complicated in four cases of HCM and three of DCM. All seven were associated with atrial fibrillation. Routine use of anticoagulants was thought to be of value in idiopathic cardiomyopathy, both hypertrophic and dilated, when associated with atrial fibrillation.
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