Cardiomyopathy differential diagnosis

Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Lina Ya'qoub, MD

Cardiomyopathy must be differentiated from athlete heart (which is often confused with HCM on echocardiography), hypertrophy due to hypertension or aortic stenosis; as these have common clinical features, including thickened myocardium on imaging and high QRS voltage on EKGs.

Moreover, cardiomyopathy must be differentiated from liver disease, and nephrotic syndrome; as both could present with volume overload symptoms (lower extremity edema, pulmonary edema, dyspnea) similar to many causes of cardiomyopathy as well.

References: