Hypertension, hypertrophy and dilatation

WHEN a patient who has suffered for any length of time from systemic hypertension dies, one usually finds severe hypertrophy, particularly of the left ventricle, best seen on cross-section (Fig. This shows that the hypertrophy is uniform and measure- ments of the anterior and posterior walls and inter- ventricular septum will be of approximately the same thickness. This is the so-called concentric hypertrophy. Occasionally slight dilatation of the left ventricular cavity can be found (Fig. Injection of the coronary arterial tree usually shows narrowing of the lumen, which may be severe, due to athero- sclerosis. The extent of luminal narrowing can be studied post-mortem by injectingradiopaque material into the coronary arteries and/or by dissection of the major vessels. i 5 .,..