The Cachectic Heart

A Clinico-pathologic, Electrocardiographic and Roentgenographic Entity

¹ Department of Medicine of the Tulane University School of Medicine, and the Charity Hospital of Louisiana, and the Veterans Administration Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana

Certain interesting gross pathologic features of the heart and aorta as seen in routine autopsy specimens of patients who die from malignancy and other cachectic states have been correlated with clinical, electrocardiographic and roentgenologic features and collectively described under the term "cachetic heart." The pathogenesis of this entity remains obscure at the present time. A few postulates are discussed in light of certain observations made in experimental animals in which cancer was induced. At present, the entity is usually diagnosed in retrospect. However, with better recognition of certain diagnostic criteria outlined in this report, it should not be difficult to establish the diagnosis during life.