The enigma of recent onset dilated cardiomyopathy: what cause, what consequence, what control?

Acute onset dilated cardiomyopathy is a very common presentation encountered by cardiologists in clinical practice, but little is known about the etiology, pathophysiology, definitive diagnosis and management of this syndrome. The vast majority of cases are considered as idiopathic cardiomyopathy, or primary or secondary myocarditis, although rarely definitive diagnoses are obtained after extensive diagnostic procedures. Two scenarios are presented as a basis for a discussion of this challenging syndrome.