Comparison of the size of the arterial vascular bed to the right ventricular mass in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Hearts from patients dying with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were examined for right ventricular mass and coronary arterial vascular bed size. Normal hearts obtained from patients dying of other causes were also examined for comparison. The relationship between the size of the vascular bed and ventricular mass was examined and a definite but low correlation was found. Severe obstructive coronary artery disease was excluded, and chronic hypoxemia did not alter the results. The arterial vascular bed supplying the right ventricle of male patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease appears to undergo a compensatory increase in size as the ventricular mass enlarges, but this is highly variable and incomplete.
D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000150:complications; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008450:Maximal Midexpiratory Flow Rate; D008875:Middle Aged