Dear Doctors,
I've written to you previously regarding strange seemingly unrelated systems and suspected but ruled out endocarditis, followed by echoes indicating "mild" increase in LV size that appears to have stabilized and continuing enlargement of my right atrium, now at 47-50mm. Echoes have also indicated a top normal inferior vena cava (1.95 cm), slightly high pulmonary artery pressure (I believe 37 mm/Hg), and mild triscupid valve regurgitation (1+). My liver is also at the top limit of normal, and both kidneys are "prominent." My recent symptoms include lower back pain, and transient periods of shortness of breath. These periods come on rather suddenly, last for a couple of days, become less severe over those days, and are accompanied by mild pleuretic pain, and periods of lots of what I think are pvcs.
I understand that the echo results are close to or within the limits of normal. My concern is with what appears to be a consistent increasing trend in my right atrium size, stabilized enlargement of my LV, and possible enlargment of my liver and kidneys. No one seems to be able to relate any of my symptoms or find a cause for the enlargement (tests recommended on my last posting have not been conducted). Can you please tell me the normal ranges for heart chamber sizes, IVC, and pulmonary artery pressure and what kind of error is expected in these measurements? Also, does anything that I have indicated in this or previous posts suggest additional tests and do you have any thoughts at all on what might be causing my symptoms?
As always, thank you for your time.
Ch