TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bazmpani, Maria Anna
A1  - Arvanitaki, Alexandra
A1  - Toumpourleka, Maria
A1  - Pitsiou, Georgia
A1  - Panagiotidou, Evangelia
A1  - Mouratoglou, Sophia Anastasia
A1  - Sianos, Georgios
A1  - Hadjimiltiades, Stavros
A1  - Pitsis, Antonios
A1  - Mayer, Eckhard
A1  - Stanopoulos, Ioannis
A1  - Karvounis, Haralambos
A1  - Giannakoula, George
T1  - Epidemiology and management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: experience from two expert centers
T2  - Hellenic journal of cardiology
N2  - Objectives: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare, distinct pulmonary vascular disease, and therefore, there is a lack of data regarding its clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management at a national basis. We aimed to describe the demographics and management of patients with CTEPH in Northern Greece. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational study by a joint collaboration between two pulmonary hypertension expert centers in Greece, and the study included patients diagnosed with CTEPH. The patient population was divided into two groups depending on their operability. Results: Overall, 27 consecutive patients were included (59% female, mean age 59.3±15.1 years). Dyspnea and fatigue were the most common presenting symptoms. History of pulmonary embolism was present in 82%. Of patients, 18 (67%) were assessed as operable, of whom 10 (55%) finally underwent pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). There were no differences in symptoms, WHO functional class, 6-min walking test distance, and hemodynamics between the operable and nonoperable groups. At the end of follow-up, all non-operable and operable patients who did not receive surgical treatment were treated with at least one pulmonary hypertension-specific drug. Conclusion: This is the first report that presents data of patients diagnosed with CTEPH in Greece. The percentage of patients who underwent surgical treatment is lower but approaches the reported rates in large registries. Considering that PEA is a relatively safe and potentially curative surgical procedure, we emphasize the need for establishing a designated PEA center in Greece. Keywords: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary endarterectomy, registry, riociguat.
KW  - chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
KW  - pulmonary endarterectomy
KW  - registry
KW  - riociguat
Y1  - 2017
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/56062
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-560629
SN  - 1109-9666
VL  - 59.2018
IS  - 1
SP  - 16
EP  - 23
PB  - Elsevier
ER  -