19. Chronic cor pulmonale

Organ: Heart

Description: The wall of the right ventricle at the area of the conus pulmonalis is increased.

Diagnosis: Chronic cor pulmonale

Causes:

• Pulmonary hypertension, primary or secondary to:
  • Chest deformity due to scoliosis
  • COPD (Chronic bronchitis or emphysema)
  • Other pulmonary disease

Theory:

Unlike the left ventricle will the right ventricle never undergo concentric hypertrophy, just dilatative hypertrophy.

Chronic cor pulmonale is diagnosed when the right ventricle is dilated (which we cannot see on the preparation, only on a cross-section) and when the wall of the right ventricle at the area of the conus pulmonalis (= conus arteriosus = infundibulum) is thicker than 5 mm. Cor pulmonale can be chronic or acute. The acute form is caused by a sudden overload of the right ventricle, often due to an acute pulmonary embolism. Acute cor pulmonale is life-threatening. The dilatative hypertrophy of the right ventricle can eventually lead to right-sided heart failure and arrhythmias, and possibly death.

Cor pulmonale prep