Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a myocardial disorder characterised by dilatation and contractile dysfunction of the left ± right ventricles. DCM may be caused by a diverse range of conditions that promote cardiomyocyte injury or loss, e.g. coronary artery disease, viral myocarditis, alcohol excess. In approximately 50% of cases, an underlying cause is unable to be identified. This group has traditionally been termed “idiopathic” DCM. It is now recognised that approximately one-third to one-half of cases of “idiopathic” DCM have a positive family history, suggesting that an inherited gene defect might be the cause of the disorder (“familial DCM”).