Pulmonary hypertension caused by sarcoidosis.

Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.

Pulmonary hypertension is an uncommon complication of sarcoidosis, but in severe pulmonary disease it occurs frequently. It is an important cause of cryptogenic dyspnea in sarcoidosis patients and can occur despite the absence of pulmonary fibrosis. The true prevalence is unknown. With the advent of specific therapies for pulmonary hypertension, there has been a resurgence of interest in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension. This article reviews the status of the current epidemiologic, pathophysiologic, and therapeutic knowledge regarding this entity.

PMID: 18539244 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC2593121 [Available on 2009/09/01]