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Cor pulmonale - Symptom

Alternative Names

Right-sided heart failure

Symptoms:

Chest discomfort, usually in the front of the chest
Exercise intolerance
Shortness of breath
Swelling of the feet or ankles
Symptoms of underlying disorders (wheezing, coughing)

Signs and tests:

Abnormal fluid collection in the abdomen
Abnormal heart sounds
Bluish color to the skin (cyanosis)
Enlargement of the liver
Swelling (distension) of the neck veins, indicating high right-heart pressures
Swelling of the ankles

The following tests may help diagnose cor pulmonale:

Blood antibody tests
Blood test for brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)
Chest x-ray
CT scan of the chest
Echocardiogram
Lung biopsy (rarely performed)
Measurement of blood oxygen by arterial blood gas (ABG)
Pulmonary function tests
Right heart catheterization
Ventilation and perfusion scan of the lungs (V/Q scan)

Sarcoid, stage IV - chest X-ray

Acute vs. chronic conditions

Cor pulmonale

Respiratory system

Reviewed last on: 11/12/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Benjamin Medoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Barst RJ. Pulmonary hypertension. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 67.

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