ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the clinical features, follow-up characteristics and prognosis of rheumatic disease complicated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in children, and to provide support for its clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of rheumatic 24 patients complicated with PAH hospitalized in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Children′s Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jiangxi Children′s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics Ⅰ, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Department of Pediatrics, the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2013 to June 2022.The rheumatic patients complicated with PAH were followed up by telephone on June 30, 2022, and their clinical symptoms, treatment, follow-up, and prognosis data were collected.According to different treatment methods, the patients were divided into different clinical subgroups. The change of PAH was analyzed. The t-test was used for comparison between groups. P<0.05 was statistically significant. Results:A total of 24 cases were enrolled, with 7 males and 17 females.The average onset age of PAH was (10.97±3.79) years old.The median duration of PAH was 6.00 (32.20) months.The average pulmonary artery pressure was (51.71±17.66) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). There were 9 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, 5 cases of Takayasu′s arteritis, 3 cases of juvenile dermatomyositis, 3 cases of undifferentiated connective tissue disease, 2 cases of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, 1 case of Behcet′s disease, and 1 case of Kawasaki disease.Among 24 cases, the common symptoms were fever (14 cases), fatigue (10 cases) and dyspnea (7 cases). Of the 24 cases, 10 cases were complicated with hydropericardium, 9 cases with valve regurgitation, and 5 cases with decreased systolic and/or diastolic function.Lung changes were observed in 17 cases.Eleven cases were tested for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and the BNP levels were all elevated in them (11 cases), with a median BNP of 3 073 (10 645) ng/L.After the first occurrence of PAH, 12 cases were treated with Methylprednisolone therapy, 10 cases received Cyclophosphamide therapy, and 2 cases who were both systemic lupus erythematosus, underwent blood purification.In the treatment of PAH, 11 cases were treated with pulmonary artery pressure reduction, and 7 of the 11 cases took PAH-targeted drugs.The mean decrease of the average pulmonary artery pressure in children receiving the targeted therapy[(44.80±24.08) mmHg] was significant higher than that in children not receiving the targeted therapy [(16.15±17.25) mmHg] ( t=2.661, P=0.016). Twenty children were reexamined and/or followed up, and the average course of PAH at the telephone follow-up was (36.29±26.67) months.The pulmonary arterial hypertension in 6 cases completely recovered, with median recovery time of 8.00 (13.47) months, but 2 of them died after the complete recovery.The pulmonary arterial hypertension improved in 11 children, 1 of whom died and the remaining children were in stable condition.The pulmonary arterial hypertension worsened in 2 children, 1 of them improved previously but aggravated recently, and the other child did not monitor pulmonary artery pressure and died during telephone follow-up. Conclusions:Rheumatic diseases complicated with PAH are rare and most often diagnosed in severe rheumatic children.It can lead to death, and is commonly accompanied by notably elevated BNP levels.The patients who have early PAH detection, intensive treatment of the primary disease, symptomatic and targeted pulmonary artery pressure reduction show a better prognosis.