Pulmonary arterial hypertension: the key role of echocardiography.
Given the nonspecific nature of its early symptoms and signs, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is often diagnosed in its advanced stages. Although clinical assessment is essential when initially evaluating patients with suspected PAH, echocardiography is a key screening tool in the diagnostic algorithm. It not only provides an estimate of pulmonary pressure at rest and during exercise, but it may also help to exclude any secondary causes of pulmonary hypertension, predict the prognosis, monitor the efficacy of specific therapeutic interventions, and detect the preclinical stage of the disease.
Bossone
Eduardo
E
Institute of Respiratory Disease, University of Milan, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore, Milan, Italy. bossone@isbem.cnrsm.it <bossone@isbem.cnrsm.it>
Bodini
Bruno Dino
BD
Mazza
Alfredo
A
Allegra
Luigi
L
D000465:Algorithms; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right