Hypertrophy Of The Heart

HYPERTROPHY OF THE HEART

Definition - Hypertrophy of the heart is defined as an increase in size and weight of the myocardium. In which involve predominantly the left or the right or both sides of the heart. It generally results from increase pressure load while increased volume load results in hypertrophy with dilatation. It is a compensatory mechanism of the heart.

Common causes (usually causes are unknown)
  • Stretching of myocardial fibrosis.
  • Anoxia (e.g. in coronary atherosclerosis).
  • Certain hormones (e.g. Catecholamines and pituitary growth hormone).
  • Left ventricular hypertrophy.
Causes of left ventricular hypertrophy –
  • Systemic hypertension.
  • Aortic stenosis and insufficiency / regurgitation.
  • Mitral insufficiency / regurgitation.
  • Coarctation of the aorta.
  • Occlusive coronary artery disease.
  • Congenital anomalies like septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus.
  • Conditions with increased cardiac output e.g. thyrotoxicosis, anaemia, arteriovenous fistula.

Causes of right ventricular hypertrophy – 
  • Pulmonary stenosis and regurgitation.
  • Tricuspid regurgitation.
  • Mitral stenosis and regurgitation.
  • Chronic lung diseases (e.g. chronic emphysema, bronchiectasis, pneumoconiosis, pulmonary vascular disease).
  • Hypertrophy and failure of left ventricle.

Causes of dilatation –
  • Valvular regurgitation.
  • Left to right shunt (e.g. in ventricular septal defect (VSD).
  • Conditions with high cardiac output (e.g. thyrotoxicosis, arteriovenous shunt).
  • Myocardial diseases (e.g. cardiomyopathies, Myocarditis).
  • Systemic hypertension.
Morphological features - Hypertrophy of myocardium without dilatation called concentric and with dilatation called eccentric hypertrophy. The weight of the heart is increased above normal (500 gm). Excessive pericardial fat not indicate true hypertrophy. Thickness of the left ventricular wall (above 15 mm) is indicates hypertrophy.


Schematic diagram showing transverse section through the ventricles with left ventricular hypertrophy (concentric and eccentric)


GROSSLY -
  • In concentric hypertrophy, the lumen of the chamber is smaller than normal, while in eccentric hypertrophy the lumen is dilated.
  • Papillary muscles and trabeculae carneae are rounded and enlarged in concentric hypertrophy, while flattened in eccentric hypertrophy.
MICROSCOPICALLY - There is increase in size of myocardium. There may be multiple minute foci of degenerative changes and necrosis in affected myocardium resulting in develop hypoxia due to inadequate blood supply to increased muscle fibers, while ventricular hypertrophy is lead to ischaemia.




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