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Ruaro B, Confalonieri P, Caforio G, Baratella E, Pozzan R, Tavano S, Bozzi C, Lerda S, Geri P, Biolo M, Cortale M, Confalonieri M, Salton F. Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: An Observational Study. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2022; 58:medicina58081094. [PMID: 36013561 PMCID: PMC9415110 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58081094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has a high mortality. The treatment of CTEPH could be balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), medical (MT) or pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). This study aims to assess the clinical characteristics of CTEPH patients, surgically or medically treated, in a pulmonology referral center. Materials and Methods: A total of 124 patients with PH with suspected CTEPH (53 male subjects and 71 female subjects; mean age at diagnosis 67 ± 6) were asked to give informed consent and then were evaluated. The presence of CTEPH was ascertained by medical evaluations, radiology and laboratory tests. Results: After the evaluation of all clinical data, 65 patients met the inclusion criteria for CTEPH and they were therefore enrolled (22 males and 43 females; mean age at diagnosis was 69 ± 8). 26 CTEPH patients were treated with PEA, 32 with MT and 7 with BPA. There was a statistically significant age difference between the PEA and MT groups, at the time of diagnosis, the PEA patients were younger than the MT patients, whereas there was no statistically significant difference in other clinical characteristics (e.g., smoking habit, thrombophilia predisposition), as well as functional and hemodynamic parameters (e.g., 6-min walk test, right heart catheterization). During three years of follow-up, no patients in the PEA groups died; conversely, eleven patients in the MT group died during the same period (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a significant decrease in plasma BNP values and an increase in a meter at the six-minute walk test, 1 and 3 years after surgery, were observed in the PEA group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study seems to confirm that pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) can provide an improvement in functional tests in CTEPH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Ruaro
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-040-399-4871
| | - Paola Confalonieri
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Gaetano Caforio
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Elisa Baratella
- Department of Radiology, Cattinara Hospital, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Riccardo Pozzan
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Tavano
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Bozzi
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Selene Lerda
- 24ore Business School, Via Monte Rosa, 91, 20149 Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Geri
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Marco Biolo
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Maurizio Cortale
- Department of Medical, Surgical, & Health Sciences, Cattinara Hospital, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Marco Confalonieri
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Francesco Salton
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
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Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: An Update. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12020235. [PMID: 35204326 PMCID: PMC8871284 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12020235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare disease observed in a small proportion of patients after acute pulmonary embolism (PE). CTEPH has a high morbidity and mortality rate, related to the PH severity, and a poor prognosis, which mirrors the right ventricular dysfunction involvement. Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) reduces pulmonary vascular resistance, making it the treatment of choice and should be offered to operable CTEPH patients, as significant symptomatic and prognostic improvement has been observed. Moreover, these patients may also benefit from the advances made in surgical techniques and pulmonary hypertension-specific medication. However, not all patients are eligible for PEA surgery, as some have either distal pulmonary vascular obstruction and/or significant comorbidities. Therefore, surgical candidates should be carefully selected by an interprofessional team in expert centers. This review aims at making an overview of the risk factors and latest developments in diagnostic tools and treatment options for CTEPH.
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