In a patient with leg pain, edema, and jugular venous distention, which condition should be suspected?

In a patient presenting with leg pain, edema, and jugular venous distention, the clinical signs are suggestive of right heart failure. This condition often leads to fluid accumulation in the systemic circulation due to the heart's inability to efficiently pump blood, resulting in peripheral edema—swelling of the legs and ankles—as well as congestion in the venous system, which can cause jugular venous distention.

When the right side of the heart is compromised, it cannot handle venous return effectively, leading to increased pressure in the veins. This elevated pressure is transmitted backward, causing fluid to leak into interstitial spaces, hence resulting in edema. Additionally, the backup of blood into the jugular veins leads to their distention.

This constellation of symptoms—leg edema, pain potentially due to vascular congestion, and distended jugular veins—aligns well with the pathophysiological mechanisms of right heart failure. Conversely, while left heart failure can also cause congestion and edema, it predominantly leads to pulmonary symptoms such as shortness of breath and may present with pulmonary edema rather than the leg symptoms seen here. Chronic hypertension primarily affects the left heart and can lead to heart failure over time but does not directly explain the acute presentation of these symptoms.