[Therapy of hypertropic obstructive cardiomyopathy]

[Clinical picture and therapy of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is defined as a primary, sometimes familial and genetically fixed myocardial hypertrophy. In the obstructive form of the disease (HOCM) a dynamic outflow tract obstruction of the left, occasionally also the right ventricle can be found. HOCM is the most frequent cause of stress-induced syncope or sudden cardiac death in younger patients. An individual estimation of prognosis is difficult although several risk factors have been identified. In addition to standard therapy of symptomatic patients (medical treatment with betablockers and calcium-antagonists of verapamil-type as well as surgical myotomy/myectomy) DDD-pacemaker implantation and percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) by alcohol-induced septal branch occlusion have been introduced. After PTSMA significant outflow tract gradient reduction can be achieved in > 90% of patients. Due to remodeling after circumscribed myocardial necrosis further gradient reduction has been observed during follow-up. Optimization of ablated septal area by echocardiographic monitoring resulted in reduction of the most important complication (trifascicular block with need of permanent pacemaker implantation) and improvement of acute and follow-up results. Long-term follow-up and comparison with established treatment options are necessary to evaluate the definitive importance of the promising new treatment.