The challenges in diagnosing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the presence of arterial hypertension: a clinical case

Aim. To describe a clinical case and analyze the challenges in diagnosing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in a patient with concomitant arterial hypertension (AH). Materials and methods. The article presents the clinical case of HCM in the patient with concomitant AH that was observed in an ambulatory setting in the Municipal Enterprise “Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Center for Diagnostics and Treatment” of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council. Results. A 66-year-old woman N., diagnosed by her family physician with coronary artery disease (CAD): stable angina FC II, grade 2 AH, chronic heart failure FC II NYHA, was referred to a cardiologist because of experiencing exertional dyspnea, chest pain, and uncontrolled blood pressure despite treatment compliance. Echocardiography identified concentric left ventricular hypertrophy with the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction (a mean gradient of 35 mmHg as per catheterization). Cardiac MRI confirmed the diagnosis and coronary angiography ruled out CAD. Adjustments to the treatment regimen, taking into account HCM with LVOT obstruction, effectively alleviated the patient’s symptoms and stabilized her blood pressure. Conclusions. It is especially important to follow the guidelines of AH management and perform echocardiography in all patients with high blood pressure, so as not to miss the signs of concomitant HCM, particularly with LVOT obstruction. In addition, in the case of HCM, it is necessary to timely detect, provide prevention and manage patients at risk for sudden cardiac death. Since HCM encompasses various diagnoses with different pathogenesis and distinct management, cardiac MRI, enzymatic or genetic testing may be needed according to guidelines. As HCM is a relatively common inherited cardiac disease, general practitioners could often encounter such patients in everyday clinical practice. Hence, they should have a certain suspicion of this diagnosis in persons with AH whose left ventricular mass meets the criteria for HCM.