Chronic cor pulmonale

Abstract

Cor pulmonale is defined as "hypertophy of the right ventricle resulting from diseases affecting the function and/or structure of the lungs, except when these pulmonary alterations are the result of diseases that primarily affect the left side of the heart, as congenital heart disease". Pulmonary hypertension is a frequent hemodynamic complication associated with a wide variety of respiratory systems disorders whose only common physiologic abnormalities are alveolar hypoxia and consequent arterial hypoxemia of longterm duration. The sustained elevation in pulmonary arterial hypertension is thought to be mediated through two pathophysiologic vascular mechanism: 1) persistent vasoconstriction and 2) vascular structural remodeling. The combination of these processes causes vascular luminal narrowing and vessel obliteration that reduce pulmonary vascular surface area to the critical degree necessary for the development of the pulmonary hypertension. Cor pulmonale may be difficult to diagnose, particularly early in its course, when they symptoms manifested may be interpreted as representing progression of an underlying pathophysiological state, such as chronic obstructive airways disease. The treatment of cor pulmonale is directed toward reversing the pathogenetic process that can be directly treated, while at the same time relieving the hypoxemia, hypercapnia or acidosis. At present long-term oxygen therapy is the best treatment for pulmonary hypertension. Heart failure in cor pulmonale is usually transient once the initiating mechanism is controlled. The usual therapeutic measures for heart failure apply: a low-salt regimen, and diuretics.