Background: Reversibility of pulmonary hypertension in patients affected by mitral stenosis is still under question.
Methods: We selected 80 patients (mean age 48 +/- 14) who underwent successful percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) for hemodynamic significant mitral stenosis (area < 1.5 cm2) with pulmonary hypertension (mean artery pulmonary pressure--PPM > 25 mm Hg), producing significant increase in mitral valve area (area before PMV = 0.99 +/- 0.23 cm2 vs 2.08 +/- 0.32 cm2 after PMV--p < 0.001) without hemodynamic complications (mitral insufficiency and/or interatrial shunt). Cardiac index, pulmonary arterial pressures, and pulmonary arteriolar resistances were invasively evaluated before and immediately after valvuloplasty. Systolic pulmonary pressure was indirectly monitored by Doppler method in a period from 1 to 3 months after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.
Results: In general (70 pts.) there was an immediate significant reduction of pulmonary pressure after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (mean pulmonary pressure before PMV was 33.9 +/- 7.9 mm Hg vs 26.8 +/- 9.5 mm Hg after PMV, p < 0.01; systolic pulmonary pressure before PMV was 51.5 +/- 10.9 mm Hg vs 43.15 +/- 13.5 mm Hg after PMV--p < 0.01). A small subgroup of 10 pts., older in age (mean 59 +/- 15), manifested no reduction of pulmonary pressure immediately after procedure (mean pulmonary pressure before PMV = 35.2 +/- 8.37 mm Hg vs 36.5 +/- 6 mm Hg after PMV, p: ns; systolic pulmonary pressure before PMV = 58.2 +/- 10.6 mm Hg vs 59.2 +/- 9.6 mm Hg. after PMV, p: ns) and 4 of them (mean age 65 +/- 15) persisting pulmonary hypertension at 1-3 months follow-up (systolic pulmonary pressure before PMV = 58.75 +/- 14 mm Hg, immediately after PMV = 57.8 +/- 12.5 mm Hg, and 1-3 months after PMV = 62.5 +/- 9 mm Hg--p: ns).
Conclusions: Neither severe pulmonary hypertension, nor pulmonary arteriolar resistances but only age seems to be a predictive factor of persisting pulmonary hypertension after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in mitral stenosis.