Echocardiographic study of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy localized in the free wall of the left ventricle

: Previous studies have shown that the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy may involve the left ventricle free wall, without involving the intraventricular septum. We describe two young sisters who were suspected of having Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy because of their family history and because of abnormal electrocardiographic findings. M-mode echocardiography showed normal ventricular septal thickness, increased thickness of the left ventricular posterior wall, decreased diastolic posterior wall velocity, normal left ventricular outflow tract. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed that hypertrophy was limited to left ventricular free wall, especially to the lateral and anterior segments. Echocardiography can thus identify unusual forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.