title: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
abstract: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by obstruction of pulmonary arterial vasculature by acute or recurrent thromboemboli with subsequent organization, leading to progressive pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. Until relatively recently, CTEPH was a diagnosis made primarily at autopsy, but advances made in diagnostic modalities and surgical pulmonary endarterectomy techniques have made this disease treatable and even potentially curable. Although published guidelines are available, in the absence of randomized controlled trials regarding CTEPH there is a lack of standardization, and treatment options have to be individualized.
authors: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gerald McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, 320 East North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA. rmoraca@wpahs.org
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Moraca
authors: Manreet
authors: M
authors: Kanwar
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000379:methods; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery