Pathology 3 Flashcards
What is cardiomyopathy? What does it result in?
- Any disease of cardiac muscle
* Changes in size of heart chambers and thickness of heart
What are classifications of cardiomyopathy? (4)
- Dilated
- Hypertrophic
- Restrictive
- Arrythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
What is dilated cardiomyopathy? Histology?
- Floppy heart that is 2-3 times bigger than normal (350g)
* Histology (microscope) features are non-specific
Causes of dilated CM? (4)
- Genetics (50%) - genes that code for heart muscle proteins
- Alcohol (very common in alcoholics)
- Toxins
- Chemotherapy agents e.g. doxorubicin (important to assess heart prior to commencing chemo)
Rare causes of dilated CM? (2)
Clinical features? (2)
- Cardiac infection
- Pregnancy
Clinical features
- SOB
- Poor exercise tolerance
What is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? What does it result in? Why is it significant?
- Big solid heart (not like DCM)
- Results in diastolic dysfunction (systole is fine but heart cannot relax) so causes outflow obstruction
- Significant because cause of sudden death in young athletes
Causes of hypertrophic CM?
Majority genetic e.g. beta myosin heavy chain, myosin binding protein C, alpha tropomyosin
Features of hypertrophic CM heart? (3)
Is the heart not healthier because it has stronger contraction? Why??
- Bulging intraventricular septum
- Outflow obstruction
- LV luminal reduction due to massive walls
NO, it is pathological - coronary arteries that supply heart do not increase in size so will have areas of hypoxia/ischaemia
Histology of hypertrophic CM?
Disorganised myofibres - swirls rather than linear
What is restrictive cardiomyopathy? What does it result in? (2)
- Lack of compliance due to rigidity - cannot stretch (relax) and fill so cannot contract properly to maintain CO
- Diastolic dysfunction due to lack of filling
- Bilateral dilation as a result of back pressure
Causes of restrictive CM? (5)
Deposition of something in myocardium
- Metabolic byproducts e.g. iron
- Amyloid
- Sarcoid
- Tumours
- Fibrosis (following infection etc)
What is amyloidosis?
Cause of restrictive CM - abnormal deposition of abnormal protein throughout body
Classification of amyloidosis?
- AA - related to chronic diseases like rheumatoid
- AL - light chains, abnormal immunoglobulin
- Haemodialysis….
……
See post-lecture slides
What tissues do amyloids affect? What is a cause of some forms of amyloidosis?
- All can affect the heart
- Some are isolated to heart e.g. senile cardiac amyloidosis
- May be localised to atrium
- Can be inherited
Histology of amyloidosis? What systems does amyloidosis affect?
- Waxy pink material
- Amyloid protein staisn positive for “congo red” dye
- Under polarised light, exhibits green birefringence
- Pan-systemic - every single vessel will contain protein