What Is Cardiomegaly?

Cardiac hypertrophy. Heart size is related to height and weight, and heart volume is similar to the size of a human fist. The heart is to the left of the chest. The width of a normal heart accounts for less than 50% of the width of the thorax (cardiothoracic ratio). Because chest X-ray measurement of the cardiothoracic ratio is often affected by the insufficient inspiratory volume of the subject, sometimes it causes relative cardiac hypertrophy, but in fact the heart is not hypertrophic; the voltage of the electrocardiogram can also reflect the presence or absence of cardiac hypertrophy. High voltage usually indicates a possible cardiac hypertrophy. To accurately measure the size of the heart, echocardiography is a very good tool. It can measure the size of each cavity of the heart (including left and right atria, left and right ventricles), and also measure the thickness of left ventricular muscles. It can also detect heart valve function, whether the heart muscle has lesions, and the function of the left ventricle. The treatment of cardiac hypertrophy requires the identification of underlying causes and treatment for different causes.

Basic Information

English name

cardiomegaly

Visiting department

Cardiology

Common locations

heart

Common causes

Hypertension, congestive heart failure, anterior wall myocardial infarction, mitral regurgitation, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pulmonary heart disease, left ventricular wall tumor, mitral stenosis

Causes of cardiac hypertrophy and common diseases

There are many causes of cardiac hypertrophy, including hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy, congestive heart failure, anterior wall myocardial infarction, mitral regurgitation, aortic valve stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary heart disease, and dilated myocardium Disease, endocarditis, left ventricular wall tumor, mitral stenosis and so on.

Differential diagnosis of cardiac hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy can be divided into two categories, enlarged and hypertrophic, and a small number of patients will coexist.

Heart enlargement

The muscles of the heart do not thicken, and sometimes the myocardium becomes thinner. This condition is usually caused by the loss of the original elasticity of the heart muscle, which enlarges the heart due to increased capacity and pressure. Common causes are myocarditis, heart valve insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, and vitamin B1 deficiency.

2. Cardiac hypertrophy

The heart muscle thickens, but the heart cavity does not grow, and sometimes it becomes smaller, but the entire heart looks larger than normal. Common causes of cardiac hypertrophy are stenotic outlets of the heart, such as aortic valve stenosis; increased peripheral vascular resistance, such as hypertension; myocardial disease, such as hereditary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac Hypertrophy Examination

Perform cardiac auscultation and percussion; electrocardiogram and chest X-ray, most of the cardiac hypertrophy can be diagnosed. For a more accurate diagnosis, echocardiography is one of the most accurate tests.

Cardiac Hypertrophy Treatment Principles

The treatment of cardiac hypertrophy requires the identification of underlying causes and different treatments for different causes. For example, cardiac hypertrophy is caused by high blood pressure, and blood pressure needs to be controlled.