NCLEX Review & Nursing School

Cardiomyopathy

– Cardiomyopathy is a disease that affects the myocardial structure in the heart, and therfore impairing the cardiac function.  There are three main types of cardiomyopathy

1. Dilated cardiomyopathy- with this type,  the ventricles are dilated with destruction of myocardial fibers limiting contractility and causing systolic dysfunction.
2. Hyperthrophic cardiomyopathy- myocardial thickening of the ventricular wall and septum causing a rigid ventricle and diastolic dysfunction.
3. Restrictive cardiomyopathy- the ventricles become rigid with fibrotic tissue, causing systolic dysfunction.