Pulmonary hypertension associated with the human immunodeficiency virus in children: treatment with sildenafil. A case report

• Published in: Archivos argentinos de pediatría Vol. 116; no. 3; pp. e437 - e441
• Main Authors: Stepffer, Carolina, Gaynor, Evelyn, López, Mariela, González, Norma E, Arri, Micaela, De Dios, Ana Ms
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Argentina 01-06-2018
• Subjects: Adolescent; Heart Failure - diagnosis; Heart Failure - virology; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - transmission; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary - diagnosis; Hypertension, Pulmonary - drug therapy; Hypertension, Pulmonary - virology; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Male; Severity of Illness Index; Sildenafil Citrate - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome; Vasodilator Agents - therapeutic use; Sildenafil citrate; HIV; pulmonary hypertension; pediatrics
• ISSN: 1668-3501
• DOI: 10.5546/aap.2018.e437

Pulmonary hypertension associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection is an extremely rare disease in pediatrics; it requires a high clinical suspicion to reach a diagnosis. Its appearance poses an unfavorable prognostic, but early diagnosis and specific treatment can improve outcomes. We report the clinical case of a fifteen-year-old patient diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus infection of vertical transmission, without antiretroviral treatment, with cough and progressive exertional dyspnea, associated with signs of right heart failure in which severe pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed. After discarding other causes, it was assumed pulmonary hypertension associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Treatment was performed with sildenafil with good response.