[Dilated cardiomyopathy as clinical syndrome: experience with nosological diagnostics with biopsy and treatment approaches].

AIM: To study possibility of nosological diagnosis in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) with use of myocardial biopsy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The trial enrolled 62 patients (23 females) with DCMP syndrome (end diastolic left ventricular size > 5.5 cm, ejection fraction < 55%). Mean age of the patients was 46.0 +/- 12.8 years. The examination included diagnosis of viral infections (Herpes virus, parvovirus B19), measurement of anticardial antibodies titer, 99Tc-MIBI single photon emission computed tomography of the myocardium, multislice computed tomography, MRT of the heart, coronarography, morphological study of the myocardium (n=20) with application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for H.simplex viruses of types 1, 2 and 6, herpes zoster, Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus B-19, adenoviruses. The control group (20 operated patients with valvular heart disease and coronary heart disease) was examined for viral genome in the blood and myocardium.

RESULTS: Complex examination of DCMP patients showed the following distribution by nosological entuities: myocarditis (n=41, 66.1%) including virus-positive (n=14), primary DCMP (n=16, 25.9%) including with non-compact myocarditis (NCM) in 3, with debute at delivery of the child--in 3. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia combined with viral myocarditis (n=2), genetic myopathy (n=1) and Takayasu disease (n=1) combined with NCM, isolated NCM (n=1) were diagnosed in the rest cases. Morphological investigation of the myocardium was made in 20 patients: diagnosis of myocarditis and primary DCMP were made in 70% (including in 2 patients with CHD) and 20%. Detection of viral genome was 20 and 15% in the study and control group, respectively, in the myocardium--in 57.9 (test for parvovirus B19 was not made in 26%) and 65.0% (complete diagnosis). All the virus-positive patients with DCMP were diagnosed to have signs of active/borderline myocarditis. Diagnostic criteria and poor prognosis factors were defined.

CONCLUSION: The nosological diagnosis of DCMP was made in all the examinees basing on the complex of clinical, case history and device evidence. The diagnosis was morphologically verified in 33.9% patients. Treatment approaches are developed.