Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Proposal for a new classification

Abstract

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a clinical condition, but its name has been subjected to frequent changes over the years, largely because of its morphological and functional heterogeneity, which leads the clinician who is focused on its study to have difficulty in understanding how to diagnose it and when and how to treat it. Regarding its name, it has been called in more than 75 different ways, and it has being classified with difficulty through echocardiography for more than 40 years. Today, it is necessary to understand that the diverse phenotypic behavior, as well as the evolutionary stages of the disease, must be approached in a practical and effective way, so that it easier to understand its clinical behavior and prognosis, as well as the therapeutic needs in each particular case. We review the aspects related to the name of the condition and propose a new classification that could provide the clinical and surgical cardiologist a better understanding of HCM in its various morphological and functional aspects.