Pulmonary Hypertension – Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options

Pulmonary hypertension is a complex group of diseases characterized by a common denominator: elevated pressure in the pulmonary circulation. The etiology of pulmonary hypertension can be very various. The first step in successful treatment of pulmonary hypertension is early detection of this serious and potentially fatal disease. Very important is the suspect about the disease and send patient to additional diagnostic procedures. The most effective diagnostic method for screening today is echocardiogram, which can indirectly measure pressures in the pulmonary circulation and evaluate function of the right ventricle. The final diagnostic method proving pulmonary hypertension is right heart catheterization. In the treatment of pulmonary hypertension different medications are used: calcium channel antagonists, prostaglandins, endothelin antagonists and inhibitors of phosphodieserase. In patients whom medical therapy is not effective lung transplantation remains a final step.