New progress in treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a progressive disease with poor prognosis if not treated. Pulmonary endarterectomy is currently the standard of treatment as it is potentially curative. However, 30%-50% of patients is inoperable due to either distal pulmonary vascular obstruction or significant comorbidities. The development of targeted drugs and balloon pulmonary angioplasty has brought a new dawn to these patients. This paper discusses the latest research on the treatment of CTEPH. Key words: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension; Pulmonary endarterectomy; Targeted drugs