Dilated Congestive Cardiomyopathy in Saudi Patients

Abstract

A retrospective study of 22 Saudi patients with a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy confirmed by cardiac catheterization was undertaken to study the pattern of this disease in Saudi Arabia. The mean age was 47 years and the most common presenting symptoms were shortness of breath in 20 patients (90 percent) and chest pain in 7 (32 percent). None had systemic embolic episodes. ECG showed left bundle-branch block in 13 (59 percent) and left ventricular hypertrophy in 14 (63 percent), QS pattern in 5 (23 percent) and 1 patient was in atrial fibrillation. Echocardiographically all had a dilated left ventricle with increased end-systolic and end-diastolic diameter, 55.7 + 9.2 and 66.1+9.2, respectively, and reduced fractional diameter shortening, 11.5 +4.7 percent. The mean cardiac index was 2.1 l/m 2 /min + 0.67 and ejection fraction was 22 + 6.5 percent. Mild to moderate mitral regurgitation was present in 12 patients (54 percent). Following conventional medical therapy, 2 of the 11 patients who were available for follow-up showed symptomatic improvement; the remaining 9 had no or only slight improvement. The pattern of symptoms and clinical findings were similar to that reported in Westerners, suggesting that the natural history of congestive cardiomyopathy in Saudi patients will also be similar with a probable low incidence of embolic phenomena.MA Halim, ME Fawzy, GM Ziady, R Guindy, J Heibig and N Feteih, Dilated Congestive Cardiomyopathy in Saudi Patients. 1983; 3(4): 227-230

Cardiomyopathy in Saudi Arabia: The King Khalid University Hospital Experience

“…67 However, in contrast to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital study, 5 we have documented a 7% incidence of mural thrombi. Cerebrovascular accidents complicated the clinical course of 7% of the total dilated cardiomyopathy group.…”

“…4 Twenty-two Saudi patients with dilated cardiomyopathy documented by cardiac catheterization were identified over a 3-year period at a specialized tertiary care facility in Riyadh. 5 Our study included 101 cases identified over a 4-year period. Their mode of presentation and clinical features were similar to those described in the Western literature.…”