RESUMO
There are few published reports on Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Africans. Due to lack of echocardiography machines in most hospital centers; clinical identification of HCM remains confined to those patients with a loud heart murmur associated with the outflow gradient. Between June 1998 and October 2002; 134 patients were studied at Hindu Mandal Hospital; 67.9were male and 32.1were female. Their mean age was 54.8 + 14.2 years. The presenting symptoms were Dyspnoea 62.7; Chest pain 55.9; Palpitations 50.7(Pre-syncope 21.6; Syncope 8.9) Due to the diverse clinical features; only 8(5.9) patients had a correct diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in their echocardiography request forms. Others were diagnosed as Ischaemic heart disease 31.8; Dilated Cardiomyopathy 29.9; Mitrol valve prolapse 11.2and Arrhythmias 6.7. Using Echocardiography; the pattern of LVH among these patients was found to be: Asymmetrical septal hypertrophy in 50.7and apical hypertrophy in 3.0. The important role of echocardiography in diagnosis is stressed with a plea for the increasing availability of this non-invasive technique for early and accurate diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy