Idiopathic cardiomyopathy in Botswana.

During a review of all cases of heart disease, including hypertensive cardiac failure, seen in Botswana during a period of sixteen months by one Specialist Physician observer, the importance of Idiopathic Cardiomyopathy as the commonest cause of cardiac failure clearly emerged. The aetiology of this condition and its relationship to hypertension and other factors causing an increased load on the myocardium are discussed. Viral myocarditis is presented as a separate entity, possibly playing a part in causation.