Senile cor pulmonale

Chronic cor pulmonale is a heart disease caused by chronic lesions of lung tissue, pulmonary vasculature, or the thoracic cage, leading to structural and functional abnormalities of lung tissue, increased pulmonary vascular resistance, elevated pulmonary artery pressure, resulting in right ventricular dilation and hypertrophy, with or without right heart failure. In China, the majority of patients with cor pulmonale develop on the basis of chronic bronchitis or emphysema.