Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy in a patient with giant cell arteritis.
This report describes the case of a young woman presenting with signs and symptoms of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension who underwent pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) with concomitant coronary artery bypass. She died in the intensive care unit 1 day postoperatively. At autopsy the patient was found to have giant cell arteritis of the pulmonary arteries and ascending aorta. It is important to differentiate this disease from chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension because its management and that of systemic vasculitis differs considerably.
Brister
Stephanie J
SJ
Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. stephanie.brister@uhn.on.ca
Wilson-Yang
Kristine
K
Lobo
Francesca V
FV
Yang
Homer
H
Skala
Richard
R
D000328:Adult; D004691:Endarterectomy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011651:Pulmonary Artery