[A pathological study on 662 autopsy cases of chronic cor pulmonale. The National Pathological Cooperative Group of Cor Pulmonale].

According to the unified diagnostic criteria and methods, 662 cases of cor pulmonale autopsy were accepted and the acceptable rate was 88.5%. Additionally, a data base with IBM PC/XT computer and dBASE-III was established in which the data of all cases accepted were stored, processed and analyzed. The results showed that chronic bronchitis and emphysema were the primary pulmonary diseases of chronic cor pulmonale in China. Chronic bronchiolitis and peribronchiolitis were considered as the late stage of bronchitis causing damage to lung tissues and constituting the central link of such complications as pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy. The authors emphasize also that the cellular elements and extracellular matrix were the major reason in decreasing pulmonary vascular compliance, while dilation of the lumen of pulmonary small arteries was probably the secondary change of pulmonary hypertension. According to the results obtained, it is considered that hypertrophy of the supraventricular crest can be used as one of the diagnostic criteria of right ventricular hypertrophy due to pulmonary hypertension.