| Here is a large, dilated left ventricle that is typical of a dilated, or congestive, cardiomyopathy. Many of these cases have no known etiology (a so-called "idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy") while others may be associated with chronic alcoholism or with inherited genetic mutations. The heart grossly is very enlarged and flabby. |
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| The effect of left ventricular dilation on cardiac physiologic parameters is shown above, with the abnormality in red and the normal parameters in black for comparison. |
