Submitted by Dr T on July 12, 2011 – 9:01am
in
Question:
Hello I’m searching for information on the heart. My son age 24 has just been sent back to the states from Afghanistan from his job. After his smallpox vaccination he began having chest tightness and rapid heart rates.
He was medically advise to return home and see his primary doctor and a cardiologist. He has seen the cardiologist and he has ordered a echocardiogram and has him on a heart monitor. He seen his primary doctor today and had some X-rays done. The doctor has explained that the X-ray is showing that the heart is enlarged on his right side and also that he has found that his heart is in an odd shape instead if the rounded form of a normal heart his is actually has a v shape on the right side and it extends about 3 or more inches pass the regular size of a normal heart. I have seen the picture of the Xray and it literally looks v shaped some what like < this but more opened. His doctor was straight up with him that he has never seen anything lime that and was very glad that my son has already seen a cardiologist. Can you help explain what this is? Please! Thank you
He was medically advise to return home and see his primary doctor and a cardiologist. He has seen the cardiologist and he has ordered a echocardiogram and has him on a heart monitor. He seen his primary doctor today and had some X-rays done. The doctor has explained that the X-ray is showing that the heart is enlarged on his right side and also that he has found that his heart is in an odd shape instead if the rounded form of a normal heart his is actually has a v shape on the right side and it extends about 3 or more inches pass the regular size of a normal heart. I have seen the picture of the Xray and it literally looks v shaped some what like < this but more opened. His doctor was straight up with him that he has never seen anything lime that and was very glad that my son has already seen a cardiologist. Can you help explain what this is? Please! Thank you
I cannot possibly comment on these findings w/o specific information, but an enlarged heart in a young man suggest either a congenital defect or a cardiomyopathy, best evaluated next with a cardiac ECHO and other tests. Since he has had an ECHO already, there should be a lot more information available than what you have given me.
Please read more here and come back to me when you know more:
https://www.cardiachealth.org/heart-information/heart-failure/cardiomyo
https://www.cardiachealth.org/heart-disease-diagnosis/exercise-stress-t
Hope this helps,
Dr T