Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition involving enlargement of the right ventricle of the heart: This condition is caused by disease of the lungs or disorders of the pulmonary blood vessels, which increase the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. This pressure overload forces the right ventricle to work harder, leading to its enlargement and eventual failure.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common cause of cor pulmonale.
  • The patient was diagnosed with cor pulmonale secondary to pulmonary hypertension.
  • Treatment for cor pulmonale focuses on managing the underlying lung disease.

Advanced Usage

• "Acute cor pulmonale": A sudden onset of right ventricular strain or failure, often due to a massive pulmonary embolism.
  • The emergency team treated the patient for acute cor pulmonale following the clot.
• "Chronic cor pulmonale": A long-term, progressive form of the condition resulting from persistent lung diseases like COPD or pulmonary fibrosis.
  • His chronic cor pulmonale was managed with supplemental oxygen and diuretics.

Variants and Related Words

• Pulmonary heart disease: A synonymous term for cor pulmonale.
• Right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH): The enlargement of the right ventricle, which is a key feature of cor pulmonale.
• Pulmonary hypertension: High blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, which is the primary mechanism leading to cor pulmonale.

Synonyms

• Pulmonary heart disease: The most direct synonym.
• Right heart failure (secondary to lung disease): Describes the functional consequence.

Related Phrases

• Secondary to: Often used to describe cor pulmonale as a consequence of another primary condition.
  • Cor pulmonale secondary to interstitial lung disease.
• Due to: Used to link the heart condition to its pulmonary cause.
  • Right ventricular failure due to chronic hypoxemia.

Related Idioms

(Note: As a specific medical term, 'cor pulmonale' is not typically used in idiomatic expressions. Its usage is confined to clinical and academic contexts.)

Noun

1. enlargement of the right ventricle of the heart due to disease of the lungs or of the pulmonary blood vessels