[The reversibility of pulmonary hypertension associated with autoimmune hyperthyroidism]

Abstract

We report the case of a 28-year-old woman in a chronic hemodialysis program, who developed moderate pulmonary hypertension (eco-Doppler assumed pulmonary systolic pressure of 62 mmHg), with right ventricular dilatation (49 mm) in coincidence with a fully symptomatic autoimmune hyperthyroidism. The improvement of thyroid function resulted in a significant regression of pulmonary hypertension (45 mmHg) and normalization of right ventricular size (35 mm). The appearance and reversibility of pulmonary hypertension associated to autoimmune hyperthyroidism have not been described before and, in our patient, it is probably facilitated by other coincident factors that increase cardiac output and, subsequently, pulmonary flow, i.e. anemia and the arteriovenous fístula for hemodialysis.