heart and blood vessel disorders
Cor Pulmonale
Diagnosis of Cor Pulmonale
Echocardiography A number of tests are available to help doctors diagnose cor pulmonale, but the diagnosis is often suspected on the basis of the physical examination. For example, by listening through a stethoscope, doctors can hear certain characteristic heart sounds that occur when the right ventricle becomes strained. The legs also become swollen, and veins in the neck enlarge. Chest x-rays can show the enlarged right ventricle and pulmonary arteries. Doctors evaluate the function of the left and right ventricles with Echocardiography and Other Ultrasound Procedures , 