Prognosis and possible presymptomatic manifestations of congestive cardiomyopathy (COCM)Supported in part by grant of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 30 Kardiologie Düsseldorf.

In order to find evidence of prognosis and of presymptomatic manifestation of congestive cardiomyopathy (COCM) in fifty-eight patients, the extent of morphological changes of endomyocardial catheter biopsy (EMCB), clinical and haemodynamic data were correlated to the clinical course. In addition, clinical, haemodynamic, angiographic, morphological and His-bundle electrographic studies were performed in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB), normal left ventricular end-diastolic volume, and normal coronary arteries (n = 43). Related to a 10-year mortality rate of 70% from the onset of symptoms, COCM is one of the most severe heart diseases. Endomyocardial catheter biopsy (EMCB) allowed clear prognostic separation in patients with COCM and seems to be of diagnostic value in patients with only slightly enlarged hearts and in patients with a short history of symptoms. The studies also revealed much evidence that at least some patients with LBBB, normal left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and normal coronary arteries exhibit an early stage of COCM. In these patients especially EMCB with severe changes of heart muscle cells and/or impaired left ventricular function may indicate subsequent COCM. So that there is now a new indication for performing EMCB.