Pregnancy as a possible trigger for heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulm Circ. 2016 Sep;6(3):381-3. doi: 10.1086/686993.

Abstract

It is unclear whether pregnancy is a trigger or accelerant for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Alternatively, its frequency close to the onset of symptoms and diagnosis in the idiopathic PAH population may represent a coincidence in a disease that predominates in young women. We describe a carrier of a BMPR2 gene mutation who had an uneventful first pregnancy but had aggressive PAH during her second pregnancy and now has ongoing heritable PAH. The possible role of pregnancy as a trigger in this vulnerable patient is discussed. Databases of patients with heritable PAH should be explored to see whether pregnancy is related to overt manifestation of the disease.

Keywords: BMPR2; pregnancy; pulmonary arterial hypertension; right ventricle.

Publication types

  • Case Reports