[The course of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. A preliminary study of 40 cases (author's transl)].

The course of hyperthrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in 40 patients was studied. The average follow-up of the patients (anamnestic and prospective) was 8 years. The age of the first diagnosis, the age of the first observation and the age of the detection of the first symptom, were considered. A prospective follow-up study was carried out in 31 patients, the average period of observation being 8 years. Functional capacity modifications, symptoms, clinical and electrocardiographic signs and the mortality rate were analyzed. Functional class unchanged in the most part of the patients; the overall mortality was 16% with high incidence of sudden and unexpected death. From our results it appeared that the prognosis could be related to the old age, heart failure and arrhythmias.