[Dilated cardiomyopathy: role of clinical and laboratory evaluation]

From the clinical standpoint a cardiomyopathy can be classified as primitive when other causes, i.e. ischemic, infiltrative, systemic diseases, can be ruled out. Initial symptoms usually include a progressive dyspnea and fatigue with tachycardia in a patient previously healthy. Congestive heart failure may be the initial manifestation. Angina is often present, not only because of coronary heart disease. Auscultatory findings usually include a gallop rhythm with a third heart sound, not rarely a four-sound gallop. Blood test to evaluate renal and liver function should be performed. The dosage of troponin I and/or troponin T, plasma renin activity, brain natriuretic peptide or endothelins has recently gained some reputation to indicate prognosis, but there is no reason to believe that these measures are superior to cardiopulmonary stress test.