Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for symptomatic pulmonary stenosis in Takayasu arteritis (TA).
Methods: From January 2009 to December 2012, clinical data of 14 patients [mean age 33.9 ± 9.3 yrs; 11 patients female (78.6%)] with symptomatic pulmonary stenosis in TA underwent PTA and were analyzed prospectively.
Results: PTA was successfully performed in 22 lesions of 14 patients. Among those lesions, 18 were treated by PTA alone while the others were treated with stent implantation. Three patients (21.4%) had reperfusion pulmonary injury; 2 patients recovered completely while the other died of respiratory failure 3 days after the procedure. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) decreased from 53.4 ± 15.8 mmHg to 38.4 ± 12.7 mmHg immediately after intervention (p < 0.001). After an average of 29 months of followup, the New York Heart Association functional class and 6-min walking distances improved while mean PAP measured by echocardiography decreased significantly (compared with baseline, all p < 0.01). One patient died of severe pulmonary infection and cardiac shock at 28 months after the procedure.
Conclusion: The study showed that PTA improved subjective symptoms and objective variables of the patients with symptomatic pulmonary stenosis in TA, with an acceptable mortality. PTA may be a promising therapeutic strategy for symptomatic pulmonary stenosis in TA.
Keywords: PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL ANGIOPLASTY; PULMONARY STENOSIS; TAKAYASU ARTERITIS.