What type of cardiomyopathy is characterized by fibrosis or infiltration of the ventricular wall?

Restrictive cardiomyopathy is characterized by the fibrosis or infiltration of the ventricular wall, which leads to a stiffening of the ventricular myocardium. This condition results in impaired filling of the ventricles during diastole, ultimately causing heart failure symptoms due to the heart's inability to accommodate the normal volume of blood returning from the circulation. Various infiltrative diseases, such as amyloidosis or sarcoidosis, typically lead to this type of cardiomyopathy by causing scarring or abnormal substance deposition in the heart muscle.

The distinction is significant because the management, prognosis, and underlying causes of restrictive cardiomyopathy differ from other types of cardiomyopathy. For instance, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by thickening of the ventricular walls, which can obstruct blood flow and alter mechanical function. Dilated cardiomyopathy involves an enlarged and weakened heart, leading to systolic dysfunction, while arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia primarily affects the right ventricle and is characterized by the replacement of myocardial tissue with fibrofatty tissue, leading to arrhythmias rather than significant diastolic dysfunction. Each type of cardiomyopathy displays distinct pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical manifestations, making it essential to accurately identify restrictive cardiomyopathy based on