A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System   |   In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Share

Email PageEmail Print PagePrint

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Hipertensión pulmonar - Overview

Nombres alternativos

Hipertensión arterial pulmonar; Hipertensión pulmonar primaria esporádica; Hipertensión pulmonar primaria familiar; Hipertensión arterial pulmonar idiopática; Hipertensión pulmonar primaria; HPP; Hipertensión pulmonar secundaria

Definición:

Es una presión arterial anormalmente alta en las arterias de los pulmones, lo cual hace que el lado derecho del corazón se esfuerce más de lo normal.

Causas:

El lado derecho del corazón bombea sangre a través de los pulmones, donde puede recoger oxígeno. Luego, la sangre retorna al lado izquierdo del corazón, de donde se bombea hacia todo el cuerpo.

Cuando las pequeñas arterias (vasos sanguíneos) de los pulmones se estrechan, no pueden transportar mucha sangre. Cuando esto sucede, la presión se acumula, lo cual se denomina hipertensión pulmonar.

El corazón necesita trabajar más fuertemente para forzar la circulación de la sangre a través de los vasos en contra de esta presión. Con el tiempo, esto provoca que el lado derecho del corazón se vuelva más grande y no hay suficiente flujo de sangre a los pulmones para recoger oxígeno.

En este momento, la insuficiencia cardíaca compromete el lado derecho del corazón, lo cual se denomina cor pulmonale.

La hipertensión pulmonar puede ser causada por:

En muchos casos, la causa se desconoce. En este caso, la afección se conoce como hipertensión arterial pulmonar idiopática (HPI) y solía llamarse hipertensión pulmonar primaria (HPP).

La hipertensión arterial pulmonar idiopática (HPI) es infrecuente y afecta más a las mujeres que a los hombres.

Si la hipertensión pulmonar es causada por un medicamento o por una afección conocida, se denomina hipertensión pulmonar secundaria.

  • Reviewed last on: 6/10/2011
  • David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Referencias

McLaughlin VV, Archer SL, Badesch DB, Barst RJ, Farber HW, Lindner JR, et al: American College of Cardiology Foundation Task Force on Expert Consensus Documents; American Heart Association; American College of Chest Physicians; American Thoracic Society, Inc; Pulmonary Hypertension Association. ACCF/AHA 2009 expert consensus document on pulmonary hypertension: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Task Force on Expert Consensus Documents and the American Heart Association developed in collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians: American Thoracic Society, Inc; and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009;53:1573-1619.

Rich S. Pulmonary hypertension. In: Bonow ROL, Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 78.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
adam.com
Adam QualityA.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
adam.com
Connect with UMMC
Facebook Twitter YouTube Blog iPhone

Please rate the quality of this article.

Do you find this article to be helpful / informative?
              
Poor                                       Excellent

Do you have any brief comments on this page: (up to 255 characters)

© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885