The classification concept for cardiomyopathies

Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is defined on the basis of the haemodynamic finding of restrictive ventricular physiology. However, restrictive ventricular pathophysiolo- gy is also a feature of other subtypes of car- diomyopathy, including hypertrophic car- diomyopathy (HCM). Clinically and aetiologi- cally, there is an overlap between RCM and HCM with restrictive physiology. However, the clinical distinction between these two entities can be an important pointer towards the underlying aetiology. This review highlights the importance of the recognition of the clini- cal phenotype as the first step in the classifica- tion of cardiomyopathies.