Hereditary dysrhythmic congestive cardiomyopathy.

A patient with hereditary congestive cardiomyopathy, who presented with recurrent episodes of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias most often precipitated by exercise, is described. The condition is marked by either a progressive course, in which case congestive cardiac failure may set in towards the end, or by unexpected sudden death. The family tree could be traced for 10 generations. The information about the tenth generation firmly established that 4 members, 2 of whom had died, were affected. Other evidence suggests that the condition was the cause of death in 3 members of the eighth generation.