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Diseases » Cor pulmonale » Glossary

Glossary for Cor pulmonale

Acid-Base Imbalance: A disruption to the normal acid-base equilibrium in the body. There are four main groups of disorder involving an acid-base imbalance: respiratory acidosis or alkalosis and metabolic acidosis or alkalosis. Obviously the severity of symptoms is determined by the degree of imbalance.
Adult Cystic Fibrosis: Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition characterized by the production of thick sticky mucus by the mucus glands in the lungs, intestines, liver and pancreas. The condition is most often diagnosed in children or young adults but occasionally, relatively mild symptoms may lead to frequent misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all unless the symptoms become worse. The condition may be misdiagnosed as emphysema, asthma or chronic bronchitis. It is usually females with a mild form of the disease who tend to be diagnosed at a later age.
Arnold-Chiari malformation type 2: A rare malformation where the base of the brain enters into the upper spinal canal. The extent of the deformity is greater in type 2 than type 1 and hence the symptoms are more severe and are often associated with a myelomeningocele (opening of the spine and spinal cord).
Ascites: Fluid accumulation in abdominal cavity
Asthma: Repeated attacks of breathing difficulty.
Bronchiectasis: Chronic bronchiole dilation from secretions and blockages.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia: A rare form of infant lung disease that usually occurs as a complication of ventilator use in premature babies.
COPD: Severe obstruction of bronchial air flow typically from bronchitis and/or emphysema.
Chest pain: Pain in the chest area.
Chronic Bronchitis: Chronic bronchitis is a chronic inflammation of the bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome: A condition characterized by blood vessel inflammation that occurs throughout the body.
Coal worker's pneumoconiosis: A lung disease caused by breathing in coal dust. The condition is generally associated with employees in the coal industry. Symptoms usually resolve when exposure to coal dust stops.
Cor Triatriatum: A rare congenital malformation where the heart has three atria instead of the normal two due to the presence of a separating membrane.
Cough: The noise produced from the sudden expulsion of air from the lungs
Cutis laxa congenital: A rare connective tissue disorder where an infant is born with loose, elastic skin.
Cystic Fibrosis: Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease affecting the exocrine (mucus) glands of the lungs, liver, pancreas, and intestines, causing progressive disability due to multisystem failure.
Cystic fibrosis - gastritis - megaloblastic anaemia: A rare syndrome characterized mainly by cystic fibrosis, metaloblastic anemia, mental retardation and gastritis due to helicobacter pylori.
Edema: Fluid retention in tissues
Eisenmenger Syndrome: Increased lung blood pressure that can result from conditions such as a hole in the wall between the two heart chambers.
Emphysema: Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is defined as an abnormal, permanent enlargement of the air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles accompanied by destruction of their walls and without obvious fibrosis.
Fainting: Temporary loss of conciousness or fainting.
Familial interstitial fibrosis: A rare familial disorder involving fibrosis and scarring of the lung tissue which causes the lung to become stiff and unable to function normally.
Fatigue: Excessive tiredness or weakness.
Furosemide - Teratogenic Agent: There is evidence to indicate that exposure to Furosemide during pregnancy may have a teratogenic effect on the fetus. A teratogen is a substance that can cause birth defects. The likelihood and severity of defects may be affected by the level of exposure and the stage of pregnancy that the exposure occurred at.
Gaucher Disease: A rare inherited biochemical disorder characterized by the deficiency of the enzyme called glucocerebrosidase and accumulation of glycosylceramide (glucocerebroside). There are three forms of this disease: type 1, 2 and 3.
Hamman-Rich syndrome: A rare acute lung disease where the lung sufferers progressive inflammation and fibrosis which often leads to death.
Hand-Schüller-Christian Syndrome: A group of blood disorder involving excess production of histiocytes (type of immune cell) throughout the body. Accumulation of histiocytes results in non-cancerous growths which can damage organs and other body tissues such as bones. Symptom vary hugely and depend on location and size of tumor growths.
Heart conditions: Any condition that affects the heart
Heart failure: Slow failure of the heart (cardiac insufficiency).
Hypoxia: Lack of oxygen to the body's tissues.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Lung fibrosis from unknown causes.
Idiopathic diffuse interstitial fibrosis: A rare lung disease involving progressive inflammation and scarring (fibrosis) of deep lung tissue which can cause shortness of breath. In idiopathic forms of the condition, there is no apparent cause.
Kidney symptoms: Symptoms affecting one or both kidneys.
LEOPARD Syndrome: A rare genetic disorder characterized by multiple lentigines, pulmonic stenosis, widely spaced eyes and deafness.
Liver problems: Any problems that are associated with the livers structure and function
Losartan - Teratogenic Agent: There is evidence to indicate that exposure to Losartan during pregnancy may have a teratogenic effect on the fetus. A teratogen is a substance that can cause birth defects. The likelihood and severity of defects may be affected by the level of exposure and the stage of pregnancy that the exposure occurred at.
Lupus: Autoimmune disease with numerous effects on various organs and linings.
Mitral stenosis: Narrowing of the mitral heart valve
Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Lung disease mostly in premature newborns; see also adult RDS.
Nifedipine - Teratogenic Agent: There is evidence to indicate that exposure to Nifedipine during pregnancy may have a teratogenic effect on the fetus. A teratogen is a substance that can cause birth defects. The likelihood and severity of defects may be affected by the level of exposure and the stage of pregnancy that the exposure occurred at.
Palpitations: The subjective sensation of the beating of the heart at a rapid or irregular rate
Paracoccidioidomycosis: Infection by the fungus Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis which usually affects the lungs but can also involve the skin, mucous membranes, lymphatic system and other parts of the body.
Pickwickian syndrome: A syndrome characterized by obesity, somnolence, hypoventilation and erythrocytosis
Pierre Robin's sequence: A rare genetic disorder characterized by an underdeveloped jaw, cleft soft palate and abnormal tongue location.
Pneumoconiosis: A lung disease caused by breathing in coal dust. It often occurs in people employed in the coal industry. Generally symptoms stop once the exposure ceases.
Portal hypertension: Portal hypertension may be defined as a portal pressure gradient of 12 mm Hg or greater and is often associated with varices and ascites.
Possible human carcinogenic exposure - Monocrotaline: Some evidence indicates that exposure to Monocrotaline has a possible link to an increased risk of developing cancer in humans. The carcinogenicity of the substance may be influenced by the duration and level of exposure. Monocrotaline is a plant toxin which can be found as a contaminant in grains or in some herbal remedies.
Primary Hypertension: A condition which is characterized by high blood pressure not associated with any identifiable pathological cause
Primary pulmonary hypertension: Primary pulmonary hypertension refers to high blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood to the lungs for no apparent reason. Blood pressure in other parts of the body is normal or sometimes even low.
Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: A rare form of lung disease characterized by tiny deposits of calcium phosphate throughout the alveoli in the lungs. The abnormal depositions may start at any age and the condition may progress very slowly with no symptoms for years or even decades. Cases which involve rapid progression or early onset are very uncommon.
Pulmonary embolism: Blocked lung blood vessel often from a blood clot.
Pulmonary fibrosis: A scarring condition that affects the lungs
Pulmonary hypertension: Pulmonary hypertension refers to high blood pressure in the blood vessels that carry blood to the lungs. Blood pressure in other parts of the body is normal or sometimes even low. The condition may be caused by such things as lung conditions (e.g. emphysema, chronic bronchitis), heart conditions (e.g. congestive heart failure, birth defects involving heart), AIDS or medications such as fenfluramine (a diet drug). Sometimes it occurs for no apparent reason and is called primary pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease: Any disease which causes a lung vein to become narrow or blocked. The pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to various body tissues.
Respiratory acidosis: Respiratory acidosis is acidosis (abnormally increased acidity of the blood) due to decreased ventilation of the pulmonary alveoli, leading to elevated arterial carbon dioxide concentration.
Respiratory conditions: Any condition that affects the respiratory system
Respiratory failure: Failure of the respiratory system
Rheumatoid arthritis: Autoimmune form of arthritis usually in teens or young adults.
Right heart failure: Heart failure of the right side of the heart
Rowley-Rosenberg syndrome: A rare disorder characterized by very short stature, cor-pulmonale (failure of the right side of the heart) and excess amino acids in the urine due to kidney dysfunction.
Shortness of breath from exercise: Feeling short of breath from exercise or exertion
Ventricular septal defect: An abnormal connection between the 2 lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
Wolman disease: A rare inherited lipid storage disease. The condition usually results in death early in life.