Cardiac Enlargement in Chronic Severe Anemia

Abstract

One hundred and fifty patients with chronic severe anemia were studied to determine the nature of cardiac enlargement and its relation to various factors. Enlargement was present in 120 patients. It showed no consistent relation to the hemoglobin level on admission. A significant increase in the cardiac size and incidence of failure was observed with increased severity of anemia, and in female as compared to male patients. The incidence of enlargement showed no relation to the age and sex of the patient and the duration or the etiologic factor of anemia. With correction of the anemia, enlargement disappeared rapidly in 92 patients, indicating that it was due to dilatation alone. Some enlargement persisted in 28 patients, and it is believed to be associated with cardiac hypertrophy. Pericardial effusion due to heart failure in 2 patients contributed to a small extent to the enlargement of the cardiac shadow.