[Clinico-morphological variants of myocardial hypertrophy in patients with ischemic heart disease and idiopathic myocarditis (problem of so-called secondary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)].

The authors studied the clinicomorphological variants of left ventricle hypertrophy in dead patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and idiopathic myocarditis (IM). Postmortem examination of CHD patients showed both the symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns of left ventricle hypertrophy. IM patients manifested the combined dilatation of the heart cavities and myocardial hypertrophy. It is pointed out that in CHD patients, the presence of a "giant" negative T wave with ST interval depression in chest leads is mostly an ECG-sign of the common CHD course. However, it may be also a manifestation of marked left ventricle hypertrophy, which should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. It is noted that IM with remarkable myocardial hypertrophy and the presence of a "giant" negative T wave and ST interval depression on the ECG may take a favourable course. The use of the term "secondary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy" is regarded as unwanted.