Universidade Eduardo Mondlane and Instituto Nacional de Saúde, , Maputo, Moçambique.
Heart. 2013 Oct;99(20):1481-7. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2012-303193. Epub 2013 May 16.
Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) continues to be an important and disabling disease in many parts of Africa, although its prevalence has declined in some parts of the continent. Increased access to medical care in general and increased availability of echocardiography in some parts of the continent have led to recognition of the disease in areas in which the disease had not been previously reported, and this has given new insights into its natural history. However, the early manifestations of EMF continue to elude clinicians and researchers, and no progress has been made in defining its aetiology. Advances have, however, been made in establishing the epidemiology and improving clinical diagnosis and management, through modern medical therapy and improved surgical techniques. Research is still required to define clinical, biological and echocardiographic markers of early stages of EMF, so that advances in the knowledge of its pathogenesis and pathophysiology can be made. This will hopefully determine preventive measures and avoid the burden of this debilitating condition in this continent.
心肌内膜纤维化（EMF）在非洲的许多地区仍然是一种重要且致残的疾病，尽管在该大陆的某些地区其患病率有所下降。一般来说，获得医疗保健的机会增加，以及该大陆某些地区超声心动图的普及，导致在以前没有报告过该病的地区也能认识到这种疾病，这使人们对其自然病史有了新的认识。然而，EMF 的早期表现仍然让临床医生和研究人员感到困惑，而且在确定其病因方面没有取得任何进展。然而，通过现代医学治疗和改进的手术技术，在确定其流行病学和改善临床诊断和治疗方面已经取得了进展。仍需要研究来确定 EMF 早期阶段的临床、生物学和超声心动图标志物，以便在其发病机制和病理生理学方面的知识取得进展。这有望确定预防措施，并避免该大陆这种使人虚弱的疾病的负担。
