Dilatation and cardiomyopathy

  I posted a garbled message yesterday.  Let me try to be more succinct and hopefully someone can answer my question.
   I am a 25-year-old male with a mild lv dilatation.  I am wondering what can cause this and does this necessarily mean I have or will develop a cardiomyopathy?
  Also, what are the various causes of a dilatation; and are all dilatations irreversible?
    Thank you for your help.
   -Todd
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Dear Todd
Various disease states can lead to a dilated heart. Viral infections can do it. High blood pressure can do it. Deformed heart valves can do it. Certain illicit drugs and alcohol can do it. Sometimes heart dilation runs in the family, that is it is inherited. Sometimes no reason is discovered, even after extensive tests.
Whether a dilation is reversible depends on the cause. If it is after a viral infection, about a third of the time the condition gets better, a third of the time it gets worse and a third of the time it stays the same. The other conditions I mentioned all need specific treatment for the condition to improve.
A dilated heart is abnormal. As far as developing a cardiomyopathy, you may already have one. All cardiomyopathy means is a disease of the heart muscle. The real question is why is your heart muscle dilated in the first place and whether you have any cardiac symptoms.
I hope this is useful. Good luck. Feel free to write back with further questions.
If you wish to be evaluated here at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at desk F15. Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your doctor.