Journal article

Publication year: 2009

Pages: 1713-1718

Journal: Respiratory Medicine

Volume number: 103

Issue number: 11

ISSN: 0954-6111

eISSN: 1532-3064

Open access status: Bronze

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2009.05.004

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract: 

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a serious complication in scleroderma and early diagnosis is warranted.

Patients and methods: 33 Scleroderma patients (mean age 54 [SD 11] years) with normal systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), right and left ventricular parameters at rest were enrolled in this study. They were investigated by echocardiography during physical. exercise and hypoxia. A hypertensive pulmonary vascular reaction was diagnosed when sPAP inappropriately increased during exercise compared to individual. exercise tolerance, or if sPAP was >40 mm Hg during hypoxia exposure, respectively.

Results: In 17 patients there was a normal increase of sPAP at exercise of 34 [8] mm Hg (mean VO2 max 70 [17]% predicted), and 29 [5] mm Hg during hypoxia. Sixteen patients developed a hypertensive pulmonary vascular response with a sPAP of 47 [9] mm Hg during exercise (VO2-max 64 [15]% pred.), and 54 [7] mm Hg mm Hg during hypoxia, respectively. The sPAP/VO2 max ratio was higher in patients with a hypertensive response (0.76 [0.17] vs. 0.49 [0.12] p < 0.0001). There was no difference in scleroderma subtype, duration of disease, gender or age between groups. During a 3-year follow up one patient with a hypertensive response developed manifest pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Conclusion: Non-invasive assessment of pulmonary circulation during physical, exercise and/or hypoxia enables screening for pulmonary vascular dysfunction in scleroderma. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Harvard Citation style: Reichenberger, F., Voswinckel, R., Schulz, R., Mensch, O., Ghofrani, H., Olschewski, H., et al. (2009) Noninvasive detection of early pulmonary vascular dysfunction in scleroderma, Respiratory Medicine, 103(11), pp. 1713-1718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2009.05.004

APA Citation style: Reichenberger, F., Voswinckel, R., Schulz, R., Mensch, O., Ghofrani, H., Olschewski, H., & Seeger, W. (2009). Noninvasive detection of early pulmonary vascular dysfunction in scleroderma. Respiratory Medicine. 103(11), 1713-1718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2009.05.004