Yoo Su-Jin, Park Jae-Hyeong, Park Yunseon, Lee Jae-Hwan, Sun Byung-Joo, Kim Jinhyun, Yoo In Seol, Shim Seung Cheol, Kang Seong Wook
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
J Cardiovasc Ultrasound. 2016 Dec;24(4):312-316. doi: 10.4250/jcu.2016.24.4.312. Epub 2016 Dec 28.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Early detection and prompt treatment of PAH associated with SSc (SSc-PAH) result in better prognosis. We conducted echocardiographic study to presume the prevalence of PAH in Korean adult SSc patients and to diagnose SSc-PAH in their early stages with right heart catheterization (RHC).
We performed free of charge echocardiographic study including 37 adult SSc patients at the Chungnam National University Hospital. The possibility of PAH is determined by the estimation of pulmonary arterial pressure by peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity of > 3.0 m/s. Patients with possible PAH were recommended to undergo RHC to confirm the diagnosis.
In 37 patients, 8 patients were suspected with PAH. Among them, 6 patients agreed to be examined with RHC, and 4 were confirmed with PAH. The prevalence of possible PAH was 21.6% (8 of 37 patients), and that of confirmed PAH was 10.8% (4 of 37 patients). Four patients who were confirmed with SSc-PAH through RHC have been treated with specific pulmonary vasodilators and maintained stable.
Eight patients (21.6%) were possible PAH and 4 (10.8%) were diagnosed as SSc-PAH by RHC after the echocardiographic screening study of 37 adult SSc patients.
肺动脉高压（PAH）是系统性硬化症（SSc）患者发病和死亡的主要原因。早期发现并及时治疗与SSc相关的PAH（SSc-PAH）可带来更好的预后。我们进行了超声心动图研究，以推测韩国成年SSc患者中PAH的患病率，并通过右心导管检查（RHC）在早期诊断SSc-PAH。
我们在忠南国立大学医院对37例成年SSc患者免费进行了超声心动图研究。通过三尖瓣反流峰值速度估计肺动脉压> 3.0 m/s来确定PAH的可能性。建议可能患有PAH的患者接受RHC以确诊。
37例患者中，8例疑似PAH。其中，6例患者同意接受RHC检查，4例确诊为PAH。可能PAH的患病率为21.6%（37例患者中的8例），确诊PAH的患病率为10.8%（37例患者中的4例）。通过RHC确诊为SSc-PAH的4例患者已接受特异性肺血管扩张剂治疗并保持稳定。
在对37例成年SSc患者进行超声心动图筛查研究后，8例（21.6%）可能患有PAH，4例（10.8%）通过RHC被诊断为SSc-PAH。
