Current Diagnostic Investigation in Pulmonary Hypertension

Jenny   Louise   Bacon; Muhammad   Shahid   Peerbhoy; Ernest      Wong; Rajan      Sharma; Ioannis      Vlahos; Agnieszka      Crerar-Gilbert; Brendan   Patrick   Madden

doi:10.2174/1573398X113099990011

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension refers to pathological elevation of the pulmonary arterial pressure and can be seen in a variety of clinical conditions. It is progressive and ultimately fatal if untreated. Timely recognition and accurate diagnosis are therefore paramount in providing effective management to patients so as to prevent, reduce or stabilise irreversible damage to the pulmonary vasculature, which ultimately causes right heart failure. PH is often not considered or misdiagnosed and a median time of 14 months from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis has been reported. As well as an awareness of the condition it is imperative that physicians know how to correctly interpret a range of investigations that are necessary in reaching the diagnosis.

Keywords: BNP, computed tomography, dual energy, echocardiography, lung function, preoperative investigation, pulmonary hypertension, right heart catheterisation.