TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Cor Pulmonale: The Heart in Structural Lung Disease A1 - Rubin, Lewis J. A2 - Fuster, Valentin A2 - Narula, Jagat A2 - Vaishnava, Prashant A2 - Leon, Martin B. A2 - Callans, David J. A2 - Rumsfeld, John S. A2 - Poppas, Athena PY - 2022 T2 - Fuster and Hurst's The Heart, 15e AB - Chapter SummaryThis chapter addresses the pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and management of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the setting of structural lung disease, commonly referred to as cor pulmonale. Airway obstruction, lung fibrosis with restriction, or a combination of both factors causes a loss of pulmonary vascular surface area and impairment in intrapulmonary gas exchange, leading to hypoxemia with or without hypercarbia, which are potent stimuli for pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling. Polycythemia with increased blood viscosity, resulting from hypoxia-induced increased red blood cell production, may further increase pulmonary vascular resistance. The subsequent elevations in pulmonary artery pressure result in right ventricular pressure and volume overload that may ultimately lead to right heart failure and death (see Fuster and Hurst’s Central Figure). The presence of cor pulmonale may be inferred from echocardiographic signs of right ventricular enlargement and hypertrophy, along with measurement of an increased tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity, but the definitive diagnosis requires the direct measurement of pulmonary hemodynamics. Management of cor pulmonale is primarily directed at optimizing lung function and gas exchange with conventional medical therapies (ie, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and other anti-inflammatory agents), minimizing hypoxemia with supplemental oxygen, and identifying and treating comorbid conditions. The role of pulmonary arterial hypertension–targeted therapies in cor pulmonale is controversial and can result in worsening V/Q mismatching and clinical deterioration. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/20 UR - accesscardiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1202456471 ER -