title: Severe pulmonary hypertension in pediatric primary Sjögren syndrome: a case report.
abstract: A 9-year-old girl with a history of xerostomia and recurrent bilateral parotid gland enlargement presented with purpura of the lower limbs and exertional dyspnea. She had hyperglobulinemia, positive ANA, SSA, and SSB and an abnormal Shirmer test leading to a diagnosis of primary Sjögren syndrome. Cardiologic and imaging investigations revealed severe isolated pulmonary hypertension and ruled out pulmonary fibrosis. Prednisolone and cyclophosphamide, together with anticoagulant and vasodilatory drugs therapy, induced a significant improvement of exertional dyspnea and lowered pulmonary artery pressure. This case and reports from the literature suggest that immune mechanisms, not just vasospasm, can be factors in some pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone