Patent ductus venosus and exercise related pulmonary hypertension: a case of a young adult with successful surgery closure

Abstract

The patent ductus venosus is an embryological portosystemic shunt that connects the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava and it can be diagnosed incidentally or in subjects suffering from hepatic encephalopathy, hypoxemia or hypoglycaemia. Sometimes it can be found in patients with cardiac defects or hypoxia caused by pulmonary arteriovenous shunting.

Case presentation

A 34-year-old male patient was referred to our medical centre for further evaluation of abdominal pain and moderate exertional dyspnoea. An exercise stress echocardiogram was performed in order to understand the mechanism of the exertional dyspnoea. The test was interrupted due to dyspnoea and desaturation and an estimated pulmonary pressure value of 65 mmHg was detected. Exercise pulmonary hypertension (PH) seems to represent the hemodynamic manifestation of early pulmonary vascular disease, acting as a possible transitional phase anticipating resting PH.

An MRI of the abdomen showed the presence of a portosystemic shunt from a patent ductus venosus, associated with stenosis of the celiac tripod artery. A CT scan, of the pulmonary circulation, showed a normal pulmonary venous return,mediastinal vessel a normal pulmonary artery. Subsequently, taking into consideration the large size (> 25 mm) of the duct, treatment (closure) of the patent ductus venosus with the help of a detachable vascular plug device was not feasible and open surgery rather than a percutaneous invasive approach would be advisable.

Conclusion

Persistent ductus venous can lead to pulmonary arteriovenous shunt fistula and exercise related pulmonary hypertension. Percutaneous or surgical closure requires detailed planning and an anatomical and physiological evaluations.