The word cardiomyopathy is used as a general term referring to the abnormal structure or function of the heart.  Strictly speaking, the definition of cardiomyopathy excludes myocardial dysfunction due to coronary artery disease, systemic hypertension and valvular or congenital heart disease. However, you will still hear terms such as ‘ischaemic cardiomyopathy’ commonly used in clinical

Myocarditis (derived from ‘myocardium’ = cardiac muscle, and -itis = inflammation) describes the inflammation of the muscular layer of the heart, the ‘myocardium’. The myocardium forms the majority of the atrial and ventricular wall thickness, with the pericardium superficial (surrounding the myocardium) and the endocardium deep (beneath the myocardium). The pericardium is formed of two

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most common, and important, investigations interpreted by doctors. In order to help the interpretation process, it is necessary to understand the physiology behind the ECG. In this article, we will explore the basics of ECG physiology, and build on this knowledge for interpretation in later articles. In a