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National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
It is possible that the main title of the report Pediatric Cardiomyopathy is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.
- arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- asymmetrical septal hypertrophy
- familial congestive cardiomyopathy
- familial dilated cardiomyopathy (FDC)
- hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)
- idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy
- idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis
- non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD)
- dilated cardiomyopathy
- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
- restrictive cardiomyopathy
Pediatric cardiomyopathy is a rare heart condition that affects infants and children. Specifically, cardiomyopathy means disease of the heart muscle (myocardium). Several different types of cardiomyopathy exist and the specific symptoms vary from case to case. In some cases, no symptoms may be present (asymptomatic); in many cases, cardiomyopathy is a progressive condition that may result in an impaired ability of the heart to pump blood; fatigue; heart block; irregular heartbeats (tachycardia); and, potentially, heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
Cardiomyopathy may be termed ischemic or nonischemic. Ischemic cardiomyopathy refers to cases that occur due to a lack of blood flow and oxygen (ischemia) to the heart. Such cases often result from hardening of the arteries (coronary artery disease). Nonischemic cardiomyopathy refers to cases that occur due to structural damage or malfunction of the heart muscle. Nearly all cases of pediatric cardiomyopathy are nonischemic. This report deals with nonischemic pediatric cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy may also be termed primary or secondary. Primary cardiomyopathy refers to cases where cardiomyopathy occurs by itself or for unknown reasons (idiopathic). Secondary cardiomyopathy refers to cases where the disease occurs secondary to a known cause such as heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis) caused by viral or bacterial infections; exposure to certain toxins such as heavy metals or excessive alcohol use; or certain disorders that affect the heart and/or additional organs systems. According to the Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry, approximately 79 percent of pediatric cardiomyopathy cases occur for unknown reasons (idiopathic).
Nonischemic cardiomyopathy may be further divided into four subtypes based upon the specific changes within the heart. These subtypes are: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.
American Heart Association
8200 Brookriver Drive
Dallas, TX 75247
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20892-0105
Montgomery Heart Foundation for Cardiomyopathy
1830 E. Monument St./Suite 7300
Baltimore, MD 21205
Chiltern Court, Unit 10
Bucks, Intl HP5 2PX
Tel: +44 (0)1494 791224
Fax: +44 (0)1494 797199
Tel: 0800 018 1024
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association
328 Green Pond Rd
P.O. Box 306
Hibernia, NJ 07842
Cardiac Arrhythmias Research and Education Foundation, Inc. (C.A.R.E)
427 Fulton Street
P.O. Box 69
Seymour, WI 54165
Kids With Heart ~ National Association for Children's Heart Disorders, Inc.
P.O Box 12504
Green Bay, WI 54307-2504
Little Hearts, Inc.
P.O. Box 171
110 Court Street, Suite 3A
Cromwell, CT 06416
Congenital Heart Information Network (C.H.I.N.)
101 N Washington Ave, Suite 1A
Margate City, NJ 08402-1195
Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation
PO Box 547
Tenafly, NJ 07670
Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
PO Box 8126
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126
Irish Heart Foundation
4 Clyde Road
Tel: +353 1 6685001
Fax: +353 1 6685896
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It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
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Last Updated: 8/26/2010
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