Familial dilated cardiomyopathy is a genetic form of heart disease. It occurs when heart (cardiac) muscle becomes thin and weakened in at least one chamber of the heart, causing the open area of the chamber to become enlarged (dilated). As a result, the heart is unable to pump blood as efficiently as usual. To compensate, the heart attempts to increase the amount of blood being pumped through the heart, leading to further thinning and weakening of the cardiac muscle. Over time, this condition results in heart failure.\n\nIt usually takes many years for symptoms of familial dilated cardiomyopathy to cause health problems. They typically begin in mid-adulthood, but can occur at any time from infancy to late adulthood. Signs and symptoms of familial dilated cardiomyopathy can include an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), shortness of breath (dyspnea), extreme tiredness (fatigue), fainting episodes (syncope), and swelling of the legs and feet. In some cases, the first sign of the disorder is sudden cardiac death. The severity of the condition varies among affected individuals, even in members of the same family.

Increased size of the heart, clinically defined as an increased transverse diameter of the cardiac silhouette that is greater than or equal to 50% of the transverse diameter of the chest (increased cardiothoracic ratio) on a posterior-anterior projection of a chest radiograph or a computed tomography.

The presence of an abnormality of cardiac function that is responsible for the failure of the heart to pump blood at a rate that is commensurate with the needs of the tissues or a state in which abnormally elevated filling pressures are required for the heart to do so. Heart failure is frequently related to a defect in myocardial contraction.

The presence of chronic increased pressure in the systemic arterial system.

Necrosis of the myocardium caused by an obstruction of the blood supply to the heart and often associated with chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, and anxiety as well as characteristic EKG findings and elevation of serum markers including creatine kinase-MB fraction and troponin.

The presence of stenosis of the renal artery.

Narrowing or constriction of the inner surface (lumen) of an artery.

An accumulation of calcium and phosphate in arteries with mineral deposits in the intimal or medial layer of the vessel wall in a coronary artery.

Calcification, that is, pathological deposition of calcium salts, affecting arteries distributed throughout the body.

An accumulation of calcium and phosphate in arteries with mineral deposits in the intimal or medial layer of the vessel wall in a carotid artery.

An accumulation of calcium and phosphate in arteries with mineral deposits in the intimal or medial layer of the vessel wall in abdominal aorta.

A height below that which is expected according to age and gender norms. Although there is no universally accepted definition of short stature, many refer to "short stature" as height more than 2 standard deviations below the mean for age and gender (or below the 3rd percentile for age and gender dependent norms).

A reduction of joint mobility resulting from changes involving the articular surfaces.

Calcified deposits in soft tissue structures outside a joint.

Rickets due to low serum phosphate concentrations, the cause of which can be nutritional or genetic. This condition is characterized by normal parathyroid hormone concentrations, usually caused by renal phosphate wasting occurring in isolation or as part of a renal tubular disorder, and characterized by resistance to treatment with ultraviolet radiation or vitamin D.

Respiratory difficulty as newborn.

An intrauterine state characterized by suboptimal values in the fetal heart rate, oxygenation of fetal blood, or other parameters indicative of compromise of the fetus. Signs of fetal distress include repetitive variable decelerations, fetal tachycardia or bradycardia, late decelerations, or low biophysical profile.