Cor pulmonale

Question 1

1) What is cor pulmonale?
2) What is the pathophysiology of cor pulmonale?

Answer 1

1) Right sided heart failure caused by chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension
2) Pulmonary hypertension results in the right ventricle being unable to effectively pump blood out of the ventricle and into the pulmonary arteries. This leads to a back-pressure of blood in the right atrium, vena cava and the systemic venous system

Question 2

1) Name a symptom of cor pulmonale
2) Name 2 features of cor pulmonale

Answer 2

1) Dyspnoea, fatigue, syncope
2) Cyanosis, tachycardia, raised JVP, RV heave, hepatomegaly, oedema, pansystolic murmur (tricuspid regurgitation)

Question 3

1) Name a lung disease cause of cor pulmonale
2) Name a pulmonary vascular disease cause of cor pulmonale
3) Name another cause of cor pulmonale

Answer 3

1) COPD, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, severe chronic asthma
2) PE, pulmonary vasculitis, primary pulmonary hypertension, ARDS, sickle cell disease
3) Kyphosis, Scoliosis, Myasthenia gravis, MND, poliomyelitis, sleep apnoea

Question 4

How is cor pulmonale managed

Answer 4

Treatment of symptoms and causes, long term oxygen therapy