Learning and research

Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is an insidious diagnosis associated with morbidity and mortality. Pharmacologic therapy may suffice initially, but advanced stages demand mechanical intervention. Pulmonary stent implantation (PSI) and pulmonary balloon angioplasty (PBA) are common strategies, both carrying restenosis risks.

Health disparities in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have not been extensively reported in the United States. The aim of this project was to characterize the extent of demographic and socioeconomic disparities in clinical outcomes within a large, diverse PAH patient population.

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) cause cerebral abscess and ischemic stroke due to paradoxical emboli, risks that are increasingly recognized. We report the evolving placement of thoracic surgery in multi-disciplinary team management of PAVMs that were sporadic or associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) affects patients at all stages of life, but there are important aspects that differentiate pediatric from adult disease. The pediatric task force at the 7th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (WSPH) recently highlighted our latest understanding of these differences, including considerations relating to PH definition, classification, treatment, and prognostication.

Pulmonary vascular disease is not a single condition; rather it can accompany a variety of pathologies that impact the pulmonary vasculature. Applying precision medicine strategies to better phenotype, diagnose, monitor, and treat pulmonary vascular disease is increasingly possible with the growing accessibility of powerful clinical and research tools.

Pulmonary artery (PA) flow analysis is crucial for understanding the progression of pulmonary hypertension (PH). We hypothesized that PA flow characteristics vary according to PH etiology.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a type of primary immunodeficiency that presents as a heterogenous disorder characterized by hypogammaglobinemia, poor response to vaccines, recurrent sinopulmonary infections, and can have noninfectious systemic manifestations. 

Guidelines recommend risk stratification of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients to guide management. There are currently several risk stratification scores available, which have largely been validated in various pulmonary hypertension registries in the West but not in Asia. 

The aim of this single-centre retrospective observational study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of an in-class combination therapy switch from bosentan plus sildenafil to ambrisentan plus tadalafil in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension.