Dilated cardiomyopathy | Figure 1
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Frontal (image 1) and lateral (image 2) chest radiograph shows cardiomegaly and mild hazy opacity in the upper lungs. Axial contrast-enhanced CT (image 3) confirms that the heart is enlarged due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common type of cardiomyopathy. It usually occurs in adults between their third and fifth decade of life. Up to one-third of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy have a genetic source for disease. Other potential causes of dilated cardiomyopathy include coronary artery disease, diabetes, viral infection, drugs, and alcohol abuse.