Chronic cor pulmonale is hypertrophy and/or dilatation of the right ventricle (RV), ending in right heart failure, caused by pulmonary hypertension (PH) from disease of the lungs, the pulmonary vessels, the chest wall or the control of breathing — not from left heart disease or congenital heart disease.
Acute cor pulmonale: sudden RV dilatation from acute pressure overload, mostly massive pulmonary embolism (PE) or acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The chronic form develops over months to years; the most common cause is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), followed by interstitial lung disease (ILD).
