[A case of primary pulmonary hypertension with beneficial effect of oral long-acting prostaglandin E1 and nifedipine].

A 23-year-old female with moderate primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) was treated by chronic oral administration of long-acting prostaglandin-E1 (PGE1) and nifedipine. Cardiac catheterization revealed evidence that both drugs had beneficial effects on this case. Total pulmonary resistance (TSR) decreased from 1089 to 955 dyne.sec.cm-5 by intravenous administration of PGE1 at a rate of 0.04 micrograms/kg/min and from 1089 to 710 dyne-sec-cm-5 by sublingual administration of nifedipine 10 mg respectively. After ten months of treatment with these two drugs, her pulmonary arterial pressure decreased from 85/40 (mean; 58) mmHg to 55/36 (mean; 45) mmHg, TSR decreased from 1089 to 829 dyne.sec.cm-5 and PaO2 in room air increased from 74.5 to 94.9 mmHg. Chest X-P and ECG revealed the decrease in the loading of the right ventricle. Thus, combined administration of PGE1 and nifedipine is expected to benefit PPH.