title: Echocardiography in pulmonary arterial hypertension: from diagnosis to prognosis.
abstract: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is most often diagnosed in its advanced stages because of the nonspecific nature of early symptoms and signs. Although clinical assessment is essential when evaluating patients with suspected pulmonary arterial hypertension, echocardiography is a key screening tool in the diagnostic algorithm. It provides an estimate of pulmonary artery pressure, either at rest or during exercise, and is useful in ruling out secondary causes of pulmonary hypertension. In addition, echocardiography is valuable in assessing prognosis and treatment options, monitoring the efficacy of specific therapeutic interventions, and detecting the preclinical stages of disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy. ebossone@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bossone
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Alto
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Citro
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Argiento
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cittadini
authors.forename: Melvyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubenfire
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naeije
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D065627:Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results