1. Severe pulmonary arterial hypertension in a very premature baby with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: normalization with long-term sildenafil
- Author
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Bruno Villari, Luigi Maria Pilla, Gennaro Vetrano, Quirino Ciampi, Salvatore Caputo, Brigida Pasquariello, Alfredo De Simone, Raffaello Rabuano, Giuseppe Furcolo, and Angelo Maria Basilicata
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Sildenafil ,Hypertension, Pulmonary ,Vasodilator Agents ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Blood Pressure ,Gestational Age ,Severity of Illness Index ,Asymptomatic ,Drug Administration Schedule ,Piperazines ,Sildenafil Citrate ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Oxygen therapy ,Internal medicine ,medicine.artery ,Severity of illness ,Humans ,Medicine ,Sulfones ,Antihypertensive Agents ,Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ,Ultrasonography ,business.industry ,Infant, Newborn ,Gestational age ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Discontinuation ,Treatment Outcome ,Bronchopulmonary dysplasia ,chemistry ,Purines ,Pulmonary artery ,Cardiology ,medicine.symptom ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Infant, Premature - Abstract
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a common adverse outcome of very premature babies treated with long-lasting ventilation and oxygen therapy. Infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia may develop pulmonary arterial hypertension. We report on severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in a preterm infant who developed secondary, symptomatic and progressively severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. He was treated with sildenafil for 12 months, with complete resolution of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Eighteen months after therapy discontinuation, the patient was asymptomatic, and his systolic pulmonary artery pressure was normal. Routine use of sildenafil in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and secondary pulmonary arterial hypertension could be the future; large studies should confirm this report.
- Published
- 2010
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