Successful simultaneous stenting of a pulmonary artery and vein in pulmonary vascular stenosis due to silicosis. Case report and literature review.

A 58-year-old patient was admitted to the emergency department due to severe respiratory insufficiency. Anamnesis revealed that the patient had experienced increasing stress dyspnea for a few months. Upon imaging, an acute pulmonary embolism was excluded, but peribronchial and hilar soft tissue proliferation with compression of central parts of the pulmonary circulation was found. The patient had a history of silicosis. The histology report showed tumor-free lymph node particles with prominent anthracotic pigment and dust depositions without evidence of IgG4-associated disease. The patient was administered steroid therapy and underwent simultaneous stenting of the left interlobular pulmonary artery and the upper right pulmonary vein. As a result, a significant improvement in symptoms and physical performance was achieved. The diagnosis of inflammatory or, in particular, fibrosing mediastinal processes can be challenging and important clinical symptoms must be taken into account, especially if the pulmonary vasculature is involved. In such cases, the possibility of interventional procedures should be examined in addition to drug therapy options.

[Congenital Pulmonary Artery Stenoses as a Rare Cause of Pulmonary Hypertension]. / Kongenitale Pulmonalarterienstenosen als seltene Ursache einer pulmonalen Hypertonie.

Kongenitale Pulmonalarterienstenosen sind eine seltene Ursache der pulmonalen Hypertonie (PH). Die Erkrankung wird in ihrer Häufigkeit vermutlich unterschätzt, und sie sollte in der Abklärung einer PH bedacht werden.Die Vorstellung einer 43-jährigen Patientin erfolgte zur Therapieoptimierung und Evaluation einer möglichen Lungentransplantation mit der Arbeitsdiagnose kongenitale Pulmonalarterienstenosen.Die Patientin beklagte eine seit der frühen Kindheit bestehende Belastungsdyspnoe aktuell entsprechend WHO-FC-Klasse II-III.Die Krankengeschichte zeigte die Erstdiagnose einer primären pulmonalarteriellen Hypertonie (IPAH) vor 17 Jahren. Es erfolgte eine PH-spezifische Medikation in wechselnden Kombinationen. Im Rahmen eines Zentrumswechsels erfolgte eine Reevaluation, und bei Nachweis eines typischen Mismatch mit normaler Ventilation, jedoch keilförmig gestörter Perfusion in der Lungenszintigrafie wurde eine chronisch thromboembolische pulmonale Hypertonie (CTEPH) vermutet. Die Pulmonalis-Angiografie zeigte ausschließlich subsegmental gelegene Stenosierungen sowie Gefäßabbrüche mit korrespondierenden Minderperfusionen, passend zu einer CTEPH. Im Rahmen der ersten Intervention erfolgte aufgrund der ungewöhnlichen Morphologie der pulmonalarteriellen Läsionen eine Erweiterung der Diagnostik mittels optischer Kohärenztomografie (OCT). Bei der Patientin fand sich kein endoluminales Material, jedoch eine kräftige Gefäßwand. Damit wurde die Diagnose einer pumonalen Hypertonie bei kongenitalen Pulmonalarterienstenosen mit In-situ-Thrombosierung gestellt.

Correlation of native T1 mapping with right ventricular function and pulmonary haemodynamics in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension before and after balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess native T1 mapping in patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) before and 6 months after balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) and compare the results with right heart function and pulmonary haemodynamics. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T and right heart catheterisation were performed in 21 consecutive inoperable CTEPH patients before and 6 months after BPA. T1 values were measured within the septal myocardium, the upper and lower right ventricular insertion points, and the lateral wall at the basal short-axis section. In addition, the area-adjusted septal native T1 time (AA-T1) was calculated and compared with right ventricular function (RVEF), mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). RESULTS: The mean AA-T1 value decreased significantly after BPA (1,045.8 ± 44.3 ms to 1,012.5 ± 50.4 ms; p < 0.001). Before BPA, native T1 values showed a moderate negative correlation with RVEF (r = -0.61; p = 0.0036) and moderate positive correlations with mPAP (r = 0.59; p < 0.01) and PVR (r = 0.53; p < 0.05); after BPA correlation trends were present (r = -0.21, r = 0.30 and r = 0.35, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Native T1 values in patients with inoperable CTEPH were significantly lower after BPA and showed significant correlations with RVEF and pulmonary haemodynamics before BPA. Native T1 mapping seems to be indicative of reverse myocardial tissue remodelling after BPA and might therefore have good potential for pre-procedural patient selection, non-invasive therapy monitoring and establishing a prognosis. KEY POINTS: • BPA is a promising treatment option for patients with inoperable CTEPH • Native septal T1 values significantly decrease after BPA and show good correlations with right ventricular function and haemodynamics before BPA • Prognosis and non-invasive therapy monitoring might be supported in the future by native T1 mapping.

[Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Recommendations of the Cologne Consensus Conference 2016]. / Chronisch thromboembolische pulmonale Hypertonie: Empfehlungen der Kölner Konsensus Konferenz 2016.

The 2015 European Guidelines on Pulmonary Hypertension did not cover only pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but also other significant subgroups of pulmonary hypertension (PH). In June 2016, a Consensus Conference organized by the PH working groups of the German Society of Cardiology (DGK), the German Society of Respiratory Medicine (DGP) and the German Society of Pediatric Cardiology (DGPK) was held in Cologne, Germany to discuss open and controversial issues surrounding the practical implementation of the European Guidelines. Several working groups were initiated, one of which was dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). In every patient with PH of unknown cause CTEPH should be excluded. The primary treatment option is surgical pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) in a specialized multidisciplinary CTEPH center. Inoperable patients or patients with persistent or recurrent CTEPH after PEA are candidates for targeted drug therapy. For balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), there is currently only limited experience. This option - as PEA - is reserved to specialized centers with expertise for this treatment method. In addition, a brief overview is given on pulmonary artery sarcoma, since its surgical treatment is often analogous to PEA. The recommendations of this working group are summarized in the present paper.

[Treatment of acute and chronic right ventricular failure]. / Therapie des akuten und chronischen Rechtsherzversagens.

Acute or chronic right ventricular failure is an often misdiagnosed cause of cardiopulmonary insufficiency. In addition to clinical symptoms or laboratory testing, echocardiography and invasive hemodynamic measurement by means of right-heart catheterization are essential for diagnosis and treatment control. In case of acute right ventricular failure, adequate symptomatic treatment of the life-threatening situation is important. Main issues are maintenance of coronary artery perfusion pressure and myocardial oxygen delivery as well as reduction of right ventricular afterload. In persistent right ventricular failure extracorporeal or intracorporeal assist devices are increasingly used as bridging or destination therapy. On a long-term basis, the targeted therapy of the underlying disease is crucial.