Right heart failure causes

Overview
There are acute and chronic causes of right heart failure. Acute right heart failure is associated with right ventricular dilation. Chronic right heart failure is often associated with right ventricular hypertrophy.

Acute Causes of Right Heart Failure (Common Examples)

 * Acute MI involving the right ventricle
 * Massive pulmonary embolization
 * Exacerbation of chronic cor pulmonale

Chronic Causes of Right Heart Failure (Common Examples)

 * COPD
 * Congenital heart disease
 * Emphysema
 * Loss of lung tissue following trauma or surgery (Pneumonectomy)
 * Primary pulmonary hypertension
 * Sleep apnea

Differential Diagnosis of Underlying Causes of Right Heart Failure
In alphabetical order.


 * Acute MI involving the right ventricle
 * Adenopathy
 * Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
 * Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
 * Alveolar hypoxia in chronic high altitude exposure
 * Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
 * Bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis
 * Bronchiectasis
 * Bronchopulmonary dysplasia following neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
 * Chest wall dysfunction
 * Chronic bronchitis
 * Chronic fungal obstruction
 * Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
 * Collagen vascular disease
 * Congenital heart disease
 * Cystic Fibrosis
 * Drug-induced lung disease
 * Emphysema
 * Fibrosing mediastinitis
 * Guillain-Barre Syndrome
 * Histiocytosis X
 * HIV infection
 * Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
 * Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
 * Interstitial lung disease
 * Kyphoscoliosis
 * Left atrial myxoma
 * Left ventricular failure
 * Mitral regurgitation
 * Mitral stenosis
 * Myasthenia Gravis
 * Myocardial infarction of the right ventricle
 * Necrotizing and granulomatous arteritis
 * Neuromuscular disease
 * Obesity
 * Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
 * Pneumoconiosis
 * Pneumonectomy
 * Poliomyelitis
 * Polyradiculitis
 * Polycythemia vera
 * Primary pulmonary hypertension
 * Pulmonary hemangiomatosis
 * Pulmonary embolism
 * Pulmonary emphysema
 * Pulmonary fibrosis
 * Pulmonary resection
 * Right ventricular infarction
 * Sarcoidosis
 * Schistosomiasis
 * Scleroderma
 * Sickle Cell Anemia
 * Sleep Apnea
 * Tuberculosis
 * Tumor embolism
 * Tumor masses
 * Veno-occlusive lung disease

Complete Differential Diagnosis of the Causes of Right Heart Failure
(By organ system)