Radiological Aspects of Heart Muscle Disease in Nigerian Adults

A congestive cardiomyopathy, known locally as heart muscle disease, accounts for 32% of the cases of cardiovascular disease seen at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Following a brief outline of the clinical picture and necropsy findings, the radiological features of the disease are described. Thirty-four cases were studied, and angiography was performed in 13. In the acute stage of the disease there was a generalized, globular, cardiac enlargement, and cardiac movements, especially of the left border of the heart, were reduced. Pulmonary venous congestion was invariably present and pleural effusions occurred frequently. Ventricular angiography demonstrated an enlarged chamber with little change in size and shape throughout the cardiac cycle, and persistence of contrast. Mitral incompetence was present in some cases. The value of angiography in differential diagnosis in emphasized.