Ischemia of right ventricle and cor pulmonale

48 year old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) secondary to pulmonary hypertension with domiciliary non-invasive ventilation was seen. He came to the emergency department with acute exacerbation of COPD. The patient was admitted to the Cardiology Service with the diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Diagnostic imaging (chest X-ray, transthoracic Doppler-echocardiography, multidetector row spiral CT and myocardial perfusion imaging) revealed an enlarged right ventricle. ECG was consistent with right ventricular failure. The heart perfusion imaging (pharmacologic stress testing with dobutamine) showed cor pulmonale and right ventricle ischemia induced by drug stress with dobutamine. Although right ventricle myocardial chronic dysfunction rarely causes right ventricular failure, it can occur when cor pulmonale and ischemia heart disease are present.