Background Pulmonary hypertension carries significant morbidity and mortality in children. Early diagnosis management may improve outcomes children with pulmonary hypertension. Heart catheterization, a gold standard for diagnosing hypertension, is an invasive procedure not widely available. Echocardiography can be used as alternative diagnostic tool hypertension.
 Objective To determine th...

predictors of hemodynamic improvement after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. Chest 2005; 127: 1606–1613. 6 Mayer E, Jenkins D, Lindner J, et al. Surgical management and outcome of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: results from an international prospective registry. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2011; 141: 702–710. 7 Condliffe R, Kiely DG, Gibbs JS, et al. Prognostic and ae...

Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation plays a fundamental role in the vascular remodeling seen in pulmonary hypertensive diseases associated with hypoxia. Arginase II, an enzyme regulating the first step in polyamine and proline synthesis, has been shown to play a critical role in hypoxia-induced proliferation of human PASMC (hPASMC). In addition, there is evidence that pati...

To assess the validity of ultrasound criteria for pulmonary arterial hypertension, we studied pulmonary valve motion in 28 patients and 20 normal subjects. In the latter group, we categorised normal movement of the posterior leaflet of the pulmonary valve in a fashion not previously described. Of the 28 patients, 19 had pulmonary arterial hypertension (pulmonary artery mean pressure more than 2...

We describe the first application in Greece of a telemetrically adjustable device for pulmonary artery banding (FloWatch-PAB device) in a 2-month-old baby, weighing 3.6 kg, with congenital heart disease (complete atrioventricular septal defect with pulmonary hypertension). The surgical application of the device was easy, the postoperative course of the patient was smooth, and the telemetric reg...

The presence of systemic left-to-right shunt and increased pulmonary blood flow can result in right heart failure and pulmonary arteriopathy. Correction of left-to-right shunt has been shown to improve cardiac function and physical performance. However, the cardiopulmonary remodeling processes following cessation of left-to-right shunt have yet to be reported. In this experimental study, excess...

A 46-year old female patient was admitted after a 5-m height fall. Contrast-enhanced CT scan discovered dissection of the right pulmonary artery (Figs 1 and 2) as well as rib fractures, pneumo-/ haemothorax, pulmonary contusions and pneumomedistinum. The dissection was confirmed by another CT scan 6 days later. The course was nonoperatively and uneventful. Figure 1: CT scan revealed dissection ...

In order to delineate further the function of the main pulmonary artery as a receptor site, a specially designed Laks triple-lumen balloon catheter was inserted transvenously and positioned in the main pulmonary artery. In six conscious nonsedated dogs, inflation of a balloon in the main pulmonary artery produced acute reversible pulmonary arterial hypertension; the pressure beyond the balloon ...

Investigations of the effect of pharmacological preparations on pulmonary hypertension in man are important for several reasons: from the potential therapeutic aspect; because these data may help to elucidate the regulation of pressure in the pulmonary artery; and finally because they may show whether pulmonary hypertension is reversible or irreversible. While the effect of reserpine on hyperte...

Twenty-five patients with proven patent ductus arteriosus were examined by pulsed Doppler echocardiography (PDE) before invasive assessment. Ten patients had normal pulmonary artery pressures, and by PDE, pandiastolic ductal flow. Fifteen patients had elevation of mean pulmonary artery pressure, and by PDE, all had abbreviations of diastolic ductal flow. PDE correctly distinguished between pati...