Enlarged Heart

[Anne]

My mother told me last night, that she had an x-ray, which showed that her heart was enlarged.  The doctor did not elaborate on this at all when she saw her.  What does this mean?  Is it dangerous?  I am really worried that I am going to lose my mum.  I love her to bits.  She is a chronic asthmatic, and visited the doc because she had broken a rib last week, and that's when the enlarged heart showed up.  Because the doc didn't say anything apart from that (not that my mother is admitting anyway), does that mean it's not serious?

Thanks heaps...
Anne.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

The pneumonia sounds like it is the culprit.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Infection may be a cause of dilated cardiomyopathy, which can lead to heart enlargement. However, my guess is that the doctors were talking about infection in the lung.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

An x-ray is a relatively non-specific way of detecting heart enlargement. Sometimes it suggests an enlarged heart when in fact there is no enlargement; similarly, it can easily miss enlargement when it is in fact present. An echocardiogram - a cardiac ultrasound - is a much more meaningful way to determine if there is truly heart enlargement and what it may be due to. The causes of heart enlargement on an x-ray range from the way the picture was taken to serious conditions such as cardiomyopathy. Often, the exact cause cannot be pinpointed on an xray.

[Anne]

As it turns out, the xray's revealed that my mum has pneumonia in the bottom of one of her lungs.  The doctor was not concerned at all about the enlarged heart, and in fact never even mentioned it when my mum spoke to him.  I take it that this would possibly be the cause?

Thanks so much for your reassurances.  I really do appreciate it.
Anne.

[Anne]

I spoke to my mum before, and she said that she has an infection (I am not sure whether it is in her lungs or heart region), and they are not sure if it is an old infection or new infection.  I am just so worried about my mum.