EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports

Case Report Volume 6 Issue 5 - 2023

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension Presented as Acute Heart Failure: A Case Report

Elizabeta Srbinovska Kostovska1*, Lazarova E1, Kostovski L2, Bosevski M1, Kjaeva-Anastasova S1 and Pejkov H1

1Medical Faculty, University Clinic of Cardiology, Skopje, North Macedonia

2Medical Faculty, University Clinic of Public Cardiovascular Surgery, Skopje, North Macedonia

*Corresponding Author: Elizabeta Srbinovska Kostovska, Professor, Cardiologist, Medical Faculty, University Clinic of Cardiology, Skopje, North Macedonia.
Received: April 17, 2023; Published: April 26, 2023



Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEHP) according to the European Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is classified in the fourth group. CTEPH is a rare, but progressive and potentially life-threatening condition that most commonly occurs due to pulmonary artery obstruction from unresolved acute pulmonary embolism (PE). There are different data on the occurrence of CTEPH after acute PE, which is primarily due to the different factors of occurrence, sometimes due to non-specificity of symptoms and the difficulty in differentiating acute pulmonary embolism from the symptoms of pre-existing CTEPH. We present a patient with CTEPH with recurrent episodes of acute pulmonary embolism, as the cause of development of right heart failure and poor outcome.

Keywords: Pulmonary Embolism; Pulmonary Hypertension; Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension; Thrombophilia; Right Heart Failure; Dyspnea

  1. Humbert M., et al. “2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension”. European Heart Journal1 (2023): 2200879.
  2. An J., et al. “Acute Pulmonary Embolism and Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Clinical and Serial CT Pulmonary Angiographic Features”. Journal of Korean Medical Science10 (2022): e76.
  3. Konstantinides SV., et al. “2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism developed in collaboration with the European Respiratory Society (ERS) The Task Force for the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)”. European Heart Journal 41 (2020): 543-603.
  4. Lang IM., et al. “Factors associated with diagnosis and operability of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. A case control study”. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis 110 (2013): 83-91.
  5. Simonneau G., et al. “Highlights from the International chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension congress 2021”. The European Respiratory Review 32 (2023): 220132.
  6. Goldhaber SZ., et al. “Efficacy of dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with acute venous thromboembolism in the presence of thrombophilia: findings from RE-COVER, RE-COVER II and Re-Medy”. Vascular Medicine 21 (2016): 506-514.
  7. Heit JA. "Thrombophilia: common questions on laboratory assessment and management". Hematology: the American Society of Hematology Education Program 1 (2007): 127-135.
  8. Guérin L., et al. “Prevalence of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension after acute pulmonary embolism”. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis 112 (2014): 598-605.
  9. Skelley JW., et al. “The use of direct oral anticoagulants in inherited thrombophilia”. The Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis 43 (2017): 24-30.
  10. Kilinc M., et al. “CTEPH secondary to Thrombophilia and incidentally diagnosed atrial septal defect”. JACC Case Reports4 (2020).
  11. Miller D., et al. “Chronic thromboembolic hypertension resulting in decompensated right heart failure”. Journal of Pulmonology and Respiratory Research 6 (2022): 012-016.
  12. Badano L., et al. “Right ventricle in pulmonary arterial hypertension: haemodynamics, structural changes, imaging and proposal of a study protocol aimed to assess remodeling and treatment effects”. European Journal of Echocardiography 11 (2010): 27-37.
  13. Srbinovska Kostovska E. “Role of echocardiography in diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension”. Cardiologia Croatica7-8 (2013): 258-263.
  14. Cullivan S., et al. “New trends in pulmonary hypertension”. The European Respiratory Review 32 (2023): 220211.
  15. Jones N., et al. “Echocardiographic Assessment of the Right Ventricle–State of the Art”. Heart, Lung and Circulation 28 (2019): 1339-1350.
  16. Miller D., et al. “Chronic thromboembolic hypertension resulting in decompensated right heart failure”. Journal of Pulmonology and Respiratory Research 6 (2022): 012-016.

Elizabeta Srbinovska Kostovska., et al. "Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension Presented as Acute Heart Failure: A Case Report." EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports   6.5 (2023): 37-42.