Left Ventricular Enlargement
Overview
Look For
- Displacement of the left cardiac border laterally, inferiorly and posteriorly
- Rounded cardiac apex
Causes of Left Ventricular Enlargement
Hypertrophy
- Physiologic - athletes, pregnancy
- Hypertensive heart disease
- Valvular disease - aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral regurgitation
- Hypertrophic (obstructive) cardiomyopathy
- Aortic coarctation
Dilation
- Dilated cardiomyopathy - familial, ischaemic, alcoholic, viral myocarditis, drugs, connective tissue disease, tachycardia-mediated, peripartum
Other
- Infiltrative disease - haemochromatosis, amyloidosis, sarcoidosis
- Hyperdynamic state - anaemia, hyperthyroidism, obesity, AV fistula
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