Atypical Congestive Heart Failure: The Pulmonary Mimic

Abstract

When a patient has both congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive lung disease, the diagnosis is difficult and the prognosis grave. The early stage of pulmonary edema caused by ventricular failure is best diagnosed by x-ray examination, but the physician must recognize that coexisting pulmonary disease causes atypical roentgenographic patterns. Two types of atypical congestive heart failure are discussed here.