Table 1. Typical echocardiographic findings in physiological (athlete’s heart) and pathologica (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) cardiac hypertrophy.
Echocardiographic index Athlete’s heart Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Left ventricular chamber size (diameter) Normal / slightly enlarged Normal / decreased
Mitral valve systolic anterior motion Absent Present
Acoustic density of the myocardial wall Normal Increased
Interventricular septum thickness < 16 mm > 16 mm
Interventricular septum thickness ratio to posterior wall thickness < 1.3 > 1.3
Interventricular septum motion and shape Regular Irregular
Left ventricular diastolic function Normal / improved Decreased
Ejection fraction Normal Depressed
Left atrial volume Increased moderately in proportion to other cardiac chambers Enlarged markedly