Improvement of pulmonary arterial hypertension following medication and shunt closure in a mutation carrier with atrial septal defect.

Mutation of the gene is the most common genetic cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Although there have been some reports of mutation carriers among PAH patients with congenital heart disease, there have been few reports of their treatment. Here, we describe a 13-year-old female mutation carrier who presented with heritable PAH and atrial septal defect (ASD). She complained of fatigue, and cardiac catheterization showed a mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) of 56 mmHg, a pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) of 8 Wood units and a pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio (Qp/Qs) of 1.3. Following 2 years of medication therapy, the mean PAP had decreased to 30 mmHg, the Qp/Qs had increased to 2.7, and her symptoms persisted. We closed the ASD interventionally, and her symptoms improved after closure. Medication therapy was continued. Four years after closure, the PAH had improved with a mean PAP of 20 mmHg and a PVR of 3.1 Wood units. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of PAH improvement following medication and ASD closure in a mutation carrier with heritable PAH. ASD closure following medication appears to be effective in some ASD patients with heritable PAH. < Mutation of the gene is the most common genetic cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Heritable PAH with mutations has been reported to have a poorer prognosis once PAH has developed. Recent reports have described treatment of atrial septal defect (ASD) patients with PAH by surgical or interventional ASD closure following medication therapy. This case suggests that medication followed by ASD closure could also be effective for mutation carriers with ASD and heritable PAH.>.