The chest radiograph in primary myocardial disease.

Thirty-nine cases of primary myocardial disease (congestive cardiomyopathy) were dividedinto 4 clinical groups: mild disease (3 cases); classical features (18 cases); complicated by incompetence of atrioventricular valves (6 cases); juvenile (12 children). The primary abnormality was enlargement of the left ventricle. Difficult roentgen differentiations included pericardial effusion and pulmonary embolism.' In general, the overall size of the heart correlated well with the underlying degree of hemodynamic abnormality. Selective angiocardiography showed the left ventricle to be dilated and poorly contractile with an increase in end-diastolic volume and small ejection fraction.