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Right atrial enlargement is when the upper chamber on the right side of the heart increases in size. It can be caused by lung disease, congenital heart defects, or back pressure in the heart. It can lead to an irregular heartbeat and increased pressure in the lungs. It can be recognized on an electrocardiogram. Treatment depends on the underlying cause.
Right atrial enlargement describes an increase in the size of the upper chamber, or atrium, on the right side of the heart. In adults, conditions that lead to enlargement of the right atrium usually also cause the corresponding lower chamber, or ventricle, to enlarge. Because blood travels from the right side of the heart directly to the lungs, right atrial enlargement can be associated with diseases that increase blood pressure in the lungs, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Some types of congenital heart disease also cause an enlargement of the right atrium allowing blood to flow from the left side of the heart to the right side or flow back from the ventricle into the atrium. The study of heart disease is known as cardiology.
Some babies are born with a heart defect in which a hole connects the right atrium of the heart to the left. Since the two sides of the heart are normally completely separate, this leads to problems. Blood from the left atrium passes into the right atrium, increasing the volume within the heart chamber. Over time, the increased load forces the right atrium to enlarge. This enlargement stretches the tricuspid valve between the right atrium and right ventricle so that it no longer closes properly, resulting in blood leaking into the atrium and increasing its load even more.
Eventually, the increased blood flow to the right side of the heart can lead to increased pressure in the lungs, causing damage to the pulmonary blood vessels. Right atrial enlargement can also disrupt pacemaker cells located within the atrium, resulting in an irregular heartbeat. An irregular heartbeat is associated with a risk of forming a blood clot, which could travel to a blood vessel in the brain and cause a stroke. Congenital heart defects are usually treated through heart surgery.
Sometimes, in what is known as cor pulmonale, existing lung disease causes back pressure in the heart. The right ventricle enlarges due to increased pressure within the pulmonary artery. This leads to distortion of the tricuspid valve, with blood subsequently flowing back into the right atrium, which also enlarges. In the case of lung diseases that affect the heart, the treatment depends on the individual disease. The general goal of treatment is to reduce the load on the heart.
Right atrial enlargement can be recognized on an electrocardiogram, also known as an EKG or EKG, which records the electrical activity of the heart by placing electrodes on the chest. Signs of right ventricular enlargement are also almost always seen, except in the case of tricuspid valve stenosis. This is where the tricuspid valve becomes damaged during an episode of rheumatic fever, causing the valve to narrow or stenosis. The narrowed atrial output leads to right atrial enlargement while the right ventricle is not getting enough blood. Tricuspid stenosis usually doesn’t need treatment, but rarely, severe symptoms can be treated with heart surgery.
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