[Precapillary pulmonary arterial hypertension disclosing systemic lupus erythematosus]

Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss. 1996 Apr;89(4):477-80.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Precapillary pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed in a 29 year old woman who became progressively more breathless (NYHA Class III) after her pregnancy, two years previously: systolic pulmonary artery pressure was 120 mmHg with an arterio-capillary pressure gradient of 30 mmHg. She had anti-nuclear autoantibodies detectable at 1/1000 and anti-DNA autoantibodies at 1/800 without any other manifestation of lupus. Treatment with prednisone (2 mg/kg/day) resulted in regression of her dyspnoea with a decrease of systolic pulmonary artery pressure to 65 mmHg, and of the arterio-capillary gradient to 15 mmHg; the lupus serology became negative with a clinical follow-up of 37 months. This observation shows that systemic lupus erythematosus may present with precapillary pulmonary hypertension, the conventional treatment of which may be successfully completed by steroid therapy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Dyspnea / etiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
  • Hemodynamics
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / drug therapy
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / etiology*
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / complications*
  • Prednisone / therapeutic use
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular
  • Pulmonary Wedge Pressure
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Glucocorticoids
  • Prednisone