An approach to echocardiography in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other causes of LVH

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most prevalent genetic cardiovascular disease with a prevalence of 1:500 in the general population. Its identification is of critical importance as it is a common cause of sudden death in the young and can lead to considerable morbidity, including heart failure and atrial fibrillation. There are several conditions that can mimic the phenotypic appearance of HCM on echocardiography. Echocardiography remains an invaluable tool in both initial diagnosis and regular surveillance of patients with this condition. Although no single echocardiographic parameter is ideal, a structured and comprehensive assessment of cardiac structure and function will provide invaluable clues to the diagnosis and often hint towards an alternate diagnosis. The purpose of this review is to reassess the typical echocardiographic features of HCM and to highlight echocardiographic features that may help to distinguish other causes of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).