Right-Sided Heart Failure and Cor Pulmonale in the Pediatric Patient

Cor pulmonale was defined in 1961 by the World Health Organization as “hypertrophy of the right ventricle resulting from diseases affecting the function and/or the structure of the lung, except when these pulmonary alterations are the result of diseases that primarily affect the left side of the heart or of congenital heart disease.” (1) Over time, this term has b een misapplied to describe the presence of right-sided heart failure, making it important to distinguish among cor pulmonale, pulmonary hypertension, and right-sided heart failure and to understand their causes.
Source: Pediatrics in Review - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research