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Cor Pulmonale
Medical Questions » Cor Pulmonale
| Name: Cor Pulmonale |
| Also known as: Pulmonary Hypertension; Right Heart Failure |
| Enlargement of the right side of the heart, which pumps blood through the lungs, and increased blood pressure in the lungs. |
Causes of Cor Pulmonale
Lungs damaged by emphysema (see separate entry), smoking, inhaled coal dust or asbestos, recurrent lung infections or a number of rarer lung diseases may be so abnormal that the blood has difficulty in passing through them. The right side of the heart must work harder to force the blood through the damaged lungs which causes a significant rise in the blood pressure in the right heart and lungs. This causes further damage to arteries and worsens the disease. The heart muscle thickens and enlarges, and because of the lung damage, inadequate oxygen enters the blood, which further compounds the problem. |
Symptoms of Cor Pulmonale
Patients have a cough that produces clear or blood-stained phlegm, a wheeze, shortness of breath with any exertion and general weakness. In advanced cases the ankles may be swollen, nausea and indigestion may occur, and the liver enlarges. |
Tests for Cor Pulmonale
Diagnosed by a chest X-ray and by an electrocardiogram (ECG). Other investigations include cardiac catheterize (passing a tube through a vein into the heart to measure the blood pressure), echocardiography and angiography. |
Treatment for Cor Pulmonale
Medication can be prescribed to strengthen the heart, open the lungs and cure any lung infection. Physiotherapy can help drain phlegm from the lungs, and oxygen may be used to relieve the shortness of breath.
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Complications of Cor Pulmonale of its treatment
Patients are susceptible to lung infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. |
Likely Outcome of Cor Pulmonale
No cure is possible and patients steadily deteriorate over many years to eventually die from heart attacks, pneumonia or other complications of the disease. |
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