Heart enlargement remains unresolved; once the mitral valve is repaired, insufficiency is found again.
This is a classic case of tactics escalating faster than solutions.
"Heart enlargement leads to mitral valve insufficiency, and then heart failure causes respiratory failure, complicated by chronic obstructive emphysema?"
Lian Tao reviewed the idea and asked in return.
"That's likely the progression. But what's causing the heart enlargement?"
The heart can't just enlarge for no reason, right?
Even with rheumatic heart disease, it can't happen out of nowhere.
There must be a reason.
"I currently have two diagnostic directions: rheumatic heart disease and cor pulmonale. The patient's symptoms match both, and these two diseases are as difficult to distinguish as the true and false Monkey King."
Cor pulmonale generally refers to heart disease caused by pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Also known as pulmonary heart disease.
It's relatively common in clinical practice.
