Phenotypes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. An illustrative review of MRI findings.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review how cardiac MRI provides the clinician with detailed information about the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) phenotypes, assessing its morphological and functional consequences.

CONCLUSION: An understanding of cardiac MRI manifestations of HCM phenotypes will aid early diagnosis recognition and its functional consequences.

TEACHING POINTS: • The phenotypic variability of HCM expands beyond myocardial hypertrophy, to include morphological and functional manifestations, ranging from subtle anomalies to remodelling of the LV with progressive dilatation and thinning of its wall. • The stages of HCM, which are based on the clinical evidence of disease progression, include subclinical HCM, the classic HCM phenothype, adverse remodelling and overt dysfunction, or end-stage HCM. • Cardiac MRI provides the clinician with detailed information regarding the HCM phenotypes and enables the assessment of its functional consequences.