Final answer:
Echocardiographically, patients with congestive cardiomyopathy have left ventricles that are dilated and poorly contracting, indicating weakened myocardium and impaired function compared to a normal, thick left ventricular muscle.
Step-by-step explanation:
Echocardiographically, patients with congestive cardiomyopathy typically have left ventricles that are dilated and poorly contracting. This condition indicates that the myocardium of the left ventricle is weakened and may be enlarged. As a result, the left ventricle has difficulty generating the necessary pressure to pump blood effectively through the systemic circuit, leading to congestive heart failure. In contrast to a normal heart where the left ventricular muscle is much thicker than the right because it has to overcome higher resistance in the systemic circulation, patients with congestive cardiomyopathy have impaired ventricular function with reduced contractility.