[Pathology of the "primary" cardiomyopathies (author's transl)].

The definition and clinical classification of the cardiomyopathies which the author uses are briefly mentioned, macroscopic, histologic, histochemical and electron microscopic appearances of the three clinical groups are described in detail. Classification is made into: 1. Congestive cardiomyopathy, 2a. hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with obstruction, 2b. hypertrophic cardiomyopathy without obstruction, 3. obliterative or restrictive cardiomyopathy. Löffler's endocarditis parietalis fibroplastica and endomyocardial fibrosis are examples which are compared with eosinophilic myocarditis and pathological evidence that the two diseases belong to the same disease process. The etiological possibilities of the cardiomyopathies are mentioned. Useful diagnostic information is obtained by myocardial biopsy in 68%.