Abstract

• In order to observe the clinical characteristics of the primary dilated cardiomyopathy. I reviewed 39 patients examined in the Cardiology Department of the Ewha Womans University Hospital from January. 1986 to in June. 1990.
  The findings were as follows ;
  1) Among whom 27 patients were male and 17 were female with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1.
  2) An age distribution was diverse from 17 years to 79 years old with a mean age 58.2±15.6 year. The peak age incidence was the 6th decade.
  3) The most frequent chief complaints were exertional dyspnea(82.1%) and orthopnea(20.5%).
  4) The duration of symptoms was relatively short. mainly less than 1 month. suggesting an abrupt onset of symptoms.
  5) Among various arrhythmias. atrial fibrillation was most common(30.8%) and premature ventricular contraction(23.1%) and premature atrial contraction(10.3%) were frequently found.
  6) By M-Mode echocardiography. left ventricular enddiastolic dimension(LVEDD) was 65.7±9.3mm. left ventricular endsystolic dimension(LVEDS) was 57.8±8.1mm and ejection fraction was 31.1±5.9%.
  7) After treatment, most of the patients(82.0%) were improved to New York Heart Association Function Class II. Before treatment. 71.7% of the patients were belongs to New York Heart Association Functional Class III and IV.