Heart Failure Pathology Study Guide

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Congestive heart failure is pump failure of the heart.

Congestive heart failure is divided into:

Congestive Heart Failure. Ultrasound showing severe systolic heart failure. Ben Smith. Not altered. CC BY-SA 4.0
Congestive Heart Failure. Severe peripheral pitting edema James Heilman, MD - Not altered. CC BY-SA 3.0
Congestive Heart Failure. Kerley B lines in acute cardiac decompensation. The short, horizontal lines can be found everywhere in the right lung. Hellerhoff - Not altered. CC BY-SA 3.0
Heart Failure Pathology. A person with congestive heart failure who presented with an exceedingly elevated JVP, the arrow is pointing to the external jugular vein (marked by the arrow) however, JVD is measured by the internal jugular vein which can also be seen here James Heilman, MD, Not altered. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Heart Failure Pathology. Siderophages (one indicated by white arrow) and pulmonary congestion, indicating left congestive heart failure Mikael Häggström, M.D. - Author info - Reusing images. Not altered. CC0

Risk factors for left sided heart failure include:

Clinical features of left sided heart failure include:

Pulmonary congestion
Dyspnea
Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (because of increased venous return when lying flat)
Orthopnea
Cyanosis

Small, congested capillaries can burst, resulting in intra alveolar hemorrhage.

Left sided heart failure histology shows marked by hemosiderin-laden macrophages (‘heart-failure’ cells).

Reduced flow to kidneys results in activation of the renin-angiotensin system.

Fluid retention exacerbates congestive heart failure.

ACE inhibitor therapy is the mainstay of treatment.

Burger and fries hypertension athereosclerosis. Christopher Williams. Not altered. CC.

Causes of right sided heart failure include:

Clinical features of right sided heart failure are secondary to congestion, and include: