Pulmonary hypertension

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a disorder characterized by abnormally high pressure in the pulmonary circulation and increased pulmonary vascular resistance. It was first documented in 1865 by the Austrian physician Dr. J. Klob under the term “endarteritis pulmonalis deformans.” 1 The modern study of the disorder began with Dr. D. T. Dresdale’s description of primary pulmonary hypertension in 1951. 2 Since then there has been a growing understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder, but PH is still not completely understood.