title: [Left and right ventricular hypertrophy at autopsy of hypertensive individuals].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the right and left ventricular thickness in deceased individuals with a history of hypertension submitted to clinical autopsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected 90 cases from the Death Verification Service of the city of Recife, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, of both sexes, with a history of essential arterial hypertension related to heart wall thickness, in addition to correlation with autopsy findings and other clinical reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant association between the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and between severe hypertensive cardiomyopathy and RVH. There was a predominance of RVH and LVH in men aged 60-79 years and a higher prevalence in the Brazilian mulatto and Black ethnic groups and in those with adequate nutritional status or overweight and obese individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was observed that the presence of RVH was related to LVH, suggesting that there are similar pathogenic factors involved in the development of bilateral hypertrophy. The RVH seems to be associated with more severe heart disease and may, based on other studies, be considered as a new prognostic factor in the evaluation of hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brasil. mipessoa@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Mirella Pessoa
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sant'Anna
authors.forename: Roberto José Vieira de
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.forename: Luciano Tavares
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: Mônica Modesto
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged