[Hemodynamic features in persons with posttuberculosis pulmonary changes]

The specific intravascular and central hemodynamic features were studied in 42 patients with pronounced posttuberculous changes in the lung in comparison to a group of healthy individuals without a history of tuberculosis. Along with clinical, functional, and electrocardiographic studies, the authors used echocardiography. End ventricular and atrial systolic and diastolic areas, end left ventricular systolic and diastolic volume, ejection fraction, stroke and cardiac indices were determined. Dilation of the right ventricle and right atrium and their increased specific contractility were ascertained in patients with pronounced posttuberculous changes. At the same time hypertrophy of the right ventricular wall was rarely observed. This gives grounds to regard dilatation of the right ventricle as an earlier sign of evolving chronic cor pulmonale that its hypertrophy. There were no changes in the left ventricle, left atrium, ejection fraction, stroke and cardiac indices, which was explained by the absence of intoxication and toxic infective action in the persons clinically recovered from tuberculosis.