dilated cardiomyopathy

a syndrome of ventricular dilatation, systolic contractile dysfunction, and often congestive heart failure; the course is usually progressive with a poor prognosis. It may be inherited, with age-related penetrance, or acquired. Inherited forms have been associated with numerous autosomal dominant mutations, most encoding proteins involved in muscle structure and assembly; causes of acquired cases include myocarditis, coronary artery disease, systemic diseases, and myocardial toxins.