[Enalapril treatment of residual pulmonary hypertension in patients operated rheumatic mitral valve defects].

A pilot trial of efficiency of enalapril maleate in the treatment of residual pulmonary hypertension was made in 22 patients operated for rheumatic mitral valve defects. Degree I, II and III of pulmonary hypertension was registered in 5, 13 and 4 patients, respectively. Thus, the patients had NYHA functional classes III and IV (22.7 and 77.3%, respectively. Enalapril given for 6 months in a mean daily dose 12.3 +/- 1.57 mg/m2 (5-30 mg a day) normalized pressure in the pulmonary artery in 18.2% of patients. 50% of patients showed hypertension degree I, only one female retained hypertension degree III. To the end of the treatment the functional classes were the following: II--in 68.2%, III--in 27.3% and IV--in 4.5%.