Dilated Cardiomyopathy

1 Introduction.- 2 Epidemiology.- 3 Pathophysiology.- 4 Etiological definition and diagnostic work-up.- 5  Role of genetics and environmental factors.- 6 Clinical presentation, spectrum of disease, natural history.- 7 Role of cardiac imaging: echocardiography.- 8 Role of cardiac imaging: cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography.- 9 Endomyocardial biopsy.- 10 Arrhythmias in dilated cardiomyopathies.- 11 Regenerative Medicine and dilated cardiomyopathy.- 12 Prognostic stratification and importance of follow-up.- 14 Current management and treatment.- 14 Open issues and future perspectives.- 15 Dilated cardiomyopathy at the cross road: multidisciplinary approach.

Gianfranco Sinagra is a full professor of Cardiology at University of Trieste and director of the Cardiovascular Department of the University Hospital Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata, Trieste, Italy, a centre of reference for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiomyopathies. He is author of more than 350 peer-reviewed international publications and several books, mostly on prognostic stratification, analysis of subgroups and reviews on dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies and myocarditis. He is editor of following Springer books "Genetic Cardiomyopathies" (2013) and "Clinical Echocardiography and Other Imaging Techniques in Cardiomyopathies" (2014).

Marco Merlo is chief of the Clinical Research of Cardiovascular Department and of Heart Muscle Disease Registry of Trieste,  that currently enrolls  more than 2000 cardiomyopathy patients,  1200 of which are affected by dilated cardiomyopathy.  His expertise covers the management of cardiomyopathy outpatients as well as inpatients. He is author of more than 70 peer-reviewed international publications, mostly on prognostic stratification, analysis of subgroups and reviews on dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies and myocarditis.

 Bruno Pinamonti is chief of the Echo Lab at the Cardiovascular Department of Trieste. He is an international expert on echo imaging in cardiomyopathies, specialized in dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and myocarditis. He is author of more than 120 peer-reviewed international publications and several books, mostly on prognostic stratification, analysis of subgroups on dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies and myocarditis, including the Springer book "Clinical Echocardiography and Other Imaging Techniques in Cardiomyopathies" (2014).

 All Editors have published peer-reviewed papers about cardiomyopathies in the major international medical journals,