Hence first degree relatives should undergo history, physical
examination, standard 2-D echocardiography, and 12-lead
electrocardiography. Relatives are considered affected in the
presence of one major criterion or two minor echocardiographic
criteria or one minor echocardiographic plus two minor electro-
cardiographic criteria. These criteria do not apply when other
potential causes such as athletic training, systemic arterial hyper-
tension or obesity are present. Young children with no evidence
of disease should be re-evaluated every 5 years until their teens
and then annually until aged 21. Diagnosis in a child under 10
years requires a body surface area corrected left ventricular wall
thickness of >10mm. Affected relatives should additionally
undergo risk stratification, which includes 48 hour Holter
monitoring and exercise testing, looking especially for
ventricular arrhythmias and abnormal blood pressure responses
respectively.
FFuurrtthheerr rreeaaddiinngg
McKenna WJ, Spirito P, Desnos M et al. Experience from clinical genetics
in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Proposal for new diagnostic criteria in
adult members of affected families. Heart1997; 7777 : 130–2.