Uncommon Myocardial Diseases the Non-Coronary Cardiomyopathies*

Importance of cardiomyopathy and cerebral ischaemia in the diagnosis of fatal coma in pregnancy

“…This name and the probably synonymous titles 'puerperal' and 'postpartal cardiomyopathy' have been used by writers who thought that there was an aetiological relationship to these states (Meadows, 1957), but, while Reid (1961) has never seen the disease in nulliparous females, he has seen a clinically indistinguishable condition in older males. There are about 140 clinical descriptions in the literature (Gouley et al, 1937;Hull and Hafkesbring, 1937;von Bonsdorff, 1939;Meadows, 1957;Brigden, 1957;Rosen, 1959;Reid, 1961;Becker and Taube, 1962;Gilchrist, 1963). Seventeen of these are from the United Kingdom (Brigden, 1957;Rosen, 1959;Gilchrist, 1963).…”

“…There are about 140 clinical descriptions in the literature (Gouley et al, 1937;Hull and Hafkesbring, 1937;von Bonsdorff, 1939;Meadows, 1957;Brigden, 1957;Rosen, 1959;Reid, 1961;Becker and Taube, 1962;Gilchrist, 1963). Seventeen of these are from the United Kingdom (Brigden, 1957;Rosen, 1959;Gilchrist, 1963). Other cases of similar nature are almost certainly reported under other names (Szekely and Snaith, 1947;Tweed, 1960).…”

Reversible Myocarditis Due to Chronic Lead Poisoning in Childhood

“…The presence of cardiac failure of obscure origin, a pansystolic murmur, and T-wave changes in the electrocardiogram suggested a generalized disease of the myocardium (Brigden, 1957;Goodwin, Gordon, Hollman, and Bishop, 1961). There were no clinical or laboratory findings to suggest that the heart failure might have been due to acute glomerular nephritis or to acute rheumatic fever; a haemolytic streptococcus was not isolated and the anti-streptolysin-0 titre was not raised.…”

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: lessons from history

“…Terminology however continued to vary across the globe and it was not until much later that Wallace Brigden wisely recommended that adjectives such as “idiopathic” and “non-specific” were best avoided and that non-coronary myocardial diseases should be classified as “cardiomyopathies” according to their aetiology 23. One of the important groups of diseases being recognised was familial cardiomegaly.…”

“…Some patients die suddenly before symptoms develop, whereas others may be shown to have steadily increasing muscle damage by the evolution of symptoms and the progressive changes on the chest radiogram and in the electrocardiogram.”23…”