Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

A brief historical review of lprimary pulmonary arteriosclerosis and hypertension has been given. Ten additional cases with (letailed laboratory, roentgenographie, electrocardiographic, cardiac catheterization, and angiocardiographic studies are presented. The findings on 4 necropsied cases afie also included. Progressive exertional shortness of breath, syncope, left chest pain, right ventricular hvpertrophy, and pulmonary arterial dilatation, combined with high right ventricular and pulimonarv arterial pressure and normal pulmonary capillary pressure in the absence of pulmonary disease, should be extremely suggestive of primary pulmonary hvpertension. An unrelenting downhill course of right ventricular failure is usually seen.