Pathology Cheat Sheet
Classify Muscle and Aorta
Cardiomyopathy and aortic disease for NEET-PG: dilated vs hypertrophic vs restrictive, sarcomere mutations, aortic dissection, Marfan, and syphilitic aortitis.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Classify Muscle and Aorta
Cardiomyopathy and aortic disease for NEET-PG: dilated vs hypertrophic vs restrictive, sarcomere mutations, aortic dissection, Marfan, and syphilitic aortitis.
The classification of cardiomyopathies and the pathology of aortic aneurysm and dissection.
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- Dilated cardiomyopathy causes ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction with a globular flabby heart.
- Causes of dilated cardiomyopathy include alcohol, myocarditis, peripartum state, and genetic mutations.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causes asymmetric septal hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is caused by sarcomere protein gene mutations and shows myofibre disarray.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.
- Restrictive cardiomyopathy causes impaired ventricular filling with stiff walls of normal size.
- Causes of restrictive cardiomyopathy include amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, and endomyocardial fibrosis.
- Aortic dissection is a tear in the intima allowing blood into the media, splitting the wall.
- Aortic dissection is associated with hypertension and with cystic medial degeneration in Marfan syndrome.
- A type A dissection involves the ascending aorta and is a surgical emergency.
- Aortic aneurysms are true aneurysms involving all wall layers, most often atherosclerotic in the abdominal aorta.
- Syphilitic aortitis affects the ascending aorta with a tree-bark intimal appearance from obliterative endarteritis of the vasa vasorum.
Mapped competency codes
- PA27.9
- PA27.10
Continue into the full chapter
This summary maps to PA27-cardiovascular-system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three main types of cardiomyopathy?
Dilated cardiomyopathy with systolic dysfunction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with diastolic dysfunction and septal hypertrophy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy with impaired filling.
What causes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
Mutations in sarcomere protein genes, producing asymmetric septal hypertrophy and myofibre disarray, and it is an important cause of sudden death in young athletes.
What is the mechanism of aortic dissection?
An intimal tear allows blood to enter and split the media, associated with hypertension and with cystic medial degeneration in Marfan syndrome.
What causes restrictive cardiomyopathy?
Infiltrative and fibrotic processes such as amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, and endomyocardial fibrosis that stiffen the ventricular walls.
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