Purpose:
The aim of the study is to assess pulmonary vasculopathy (wall fibrosis, pulmonary arterial pulsatility and elastic modulus ) in patients with persistent pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary systolic pressure by ECHO > 50 mmhg ) at least 1 year after mitral valve replacement with normal function of the valve. The evaluation was carried out by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in medium sized pulmonary arteries. We compared three groups: Group 1 ( persistent pulmonary hypertension after mitral valve replacement), Group 2 (pulmonary hypertension belonging to the group 1 of the Dana Point classification) and Group 3 (healthy controls).
Methods:
We studied 43 patients, 15 in Group 1 , 18 Group 2 and 10 in Group 3. Group 1: 13 females, the mean age of this group was 74+-7 years; Group 2: 14 females, 53+-14 years and Group 3: 6 females, 51+-5 years. All patients were submitted to left and right heart catheterization, and IVUS in medium sized elastic PA ( 2-3 mm diameter ) of the inferior lobes. Studied variables were: mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP, mm Hg), pulmonary wedge pressure, aortic pressure, cardiac output (CO,l/min), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR, Wood Units), IVUS pulsatility and elastic modulus (EM,mm Hg).
Local pulsatility was estimated by IVUS: (systolic- diastolic lumen area/ diastolic lumen area) X 100. PA stiffness was assessed by the elastic modulus (EM= pulse pressure/ IVUSp).
Results:
In Group 3 all variables were statistically different from the other 2 groups (p<0.01). Variables are shown in table.
Conclusions:
Group 1, even with a lower mean PAP than Group 2 (p<0.05) showed a similar anatomical ( wall fibrosis ) and similar functional wall remodeling ( EM ).
Treatment with epoprostenol of pulmonary arterial hypertension following mitral valve replacement for mitral stenosis
