Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs, making the right side of the heart work harder over time.
Breathlessness on exertion, fatigue, fainting or near-fainting, chest discomfort, and swelling in the legs as the condition progresses.
Imaging shows the size of the heart chambers and pulmonary arteries, looks for an underlying lung or heart cause, and checks for blood clots in the pulmonary arteries.
Echocardiography estimates pulmonary artery pressures and right heart function; CT pulmonary angiography looks for clots; ventilation-perfusion scans help diagnose chronic thromboembolic disease.
Treatment depends on the cause — specific medications for the underlying type of pulmonary hypertension, treating the lung or heart disease driving it, and sometimes specialist procedures.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.
