Incidence of chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension following acute pulmonary thrombo-embolism: an Indian perspective

Abstract

Chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) remains a severe disabling disease causing a significant amount of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The incidence and severity of this condition is quite obscure. The initial inciting event, the reason of progression, the natural history of the disease and the predictors of adverse outcomes are not yet adequately clarified. From the Indian subcontinent, data regarding this disease is limited. But with the advent of the multi-detector computed tomography, the understanding of this disease is gradually improving. As most of the available data suggests, acute pulmonary embolism (PE) as the main initial trigger leading to CTEPH, we prospectively analysed all patients being admitted in our hospital with acute PE and followed them over a period of one-and-a-half years to determine the incidence of CTEPH in this group. This is just an attempt to increase the awareness about the disease pattern and determine the rate of progression, risk factors of poor outcome, so that early detection and prompt treatment can benefit the patient care.