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Chronic Pulmonary Embolism and Pulmonary Hypertension
Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,
Klok FA et al. – The diagnostic approach of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) aims at assessing the location and extent of the embolic obstruction, establishing the operability and prognosis of the patients and ruling out other variations of pulmonary hypertension with distinct indicated treatment. Heart catheterization for invasive pressure measurements and pulmonary catheter angiography is obligatory for the final diagnosis. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy is the treatment of choice. In certain patients with persistent or recurrent pulmonary hypertension after surgery or with inoperable disease, pharmacotherapy might be beneficial.