[Hypertrophic non-obstructive apical cardiomyopathy. A case report].

A 53-year old patient with recurrent atrial fibrillation and atypical angina was found to have hypertrophic non-obstructive apical cardiomyopathy. His electrocardiogram recorded left ventricular hypertrophy and giant inverted T waves. Cross-sectional echocardiography revealed a typical ace-of-spade configuration of the left ventricular apex. This feature was confirmed at cardiac catheterization, which failed, however, to detect any intraventricular pressure gradient even after isoproterenol infusion. The apex of the right ventricle was also obliterated by hypertrophied muscle. Thus this case had all the typical findings of hypertrophic non-obstructive apical cardiomyopathy, which were best displayed by electrocardiography, bidimensional echocardiography and left ventriculography.