© 2004 by BMJ Publishing Group & British Cardiac Society
CASE REPORT
Long term survival in primary pulmonary hypertension
University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Internal Medicine I, Dresden, Germany
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr M Halank
University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Internal Medicine I, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Michael.Halank{at}uniklinikum-dresden.de
The mean survival of patients with severe primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is < 3 years without appropriate treatment. There are no long term reports on the spontaneous course of mild PPH over a longer period. Stable long term follow up is described of a 39 year old patient with PPH without treatment over a 30 year period. PPH had been diagnosed 30 years previously after right heart catheterisation (mean pulmonary artery pressure 35 mm Hg) and 30 years later, repeated measurements showed nearly unchanged haemodynamic parameters. Further examinations confirmed the diagnosis of PPH. It is suggested that PPH with modestly limited physical activity (New York Heart Association functional class II) does not always seem to coincide with progression of the disease and, therefore, it may be feasible to withhold treatment while closely monitoring these patients.
Keywords: primary pulmonary hypertension
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Heart 2004 90: 749.
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