Sarcoidosis and reactive pulmonary hypertension

Arch Intern Med. 1985 Nov;145(11):2112-4.

Abstract

Despite diffuse disease of the lungs (often with widespread inflammation or obliteration of blood vessels) in sarcoidosis, pulmonary hypertension is uncommon, occurring in 1% to 4% of cases. We report a case of sarcoidosis and severe pulmonary hypertension that, in striking contrast to other reports, occurred in the absence of obliterative pulmonary vascular disease. We therefore examined the possibility of whether an abnormality in pulmonary vascular tone might be a cause of the pulmonary hypertension. In pharmacologic studies, we demonstrated pulmonary vasodilatation and, in response to increased pulmonary blood flow, the elaboration of the pulmonary vasoconstricting eicosanoid, thromboxane.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Arterial Occlusive Diseases / pathology
  • Arterial Occlusive Diseases / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Hemodynamics
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / pathology
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / physiopathology*
  • Lung / blood supply
  • Lung / pathology
  • Pulmonary Circulation / drug effects
  • Sarcoidosis / pathology
  • Sarcoidosis / physiopathology*
  • Thromboxanes / blood

Substances

  • Thromboxanes