Bridging
the Gap Between
Specialists With Insights
From an Expert Panel
Often unsuspected and underappreciated,
pulmonary arterial hypertension in some forms of scleroderma
is much like primary pulmonary hypertension; the cause
of the dyspnea and associated symptoms frequently
eludes diagnosis until very late in the disease.
Unfortunately, by that time, pulmonary
hypertension may have reached an advanced stage less
amenable to treatment. Although many patients with
collagen vascular disease are considered at high risk
for inflam-matory pulmonary involvement, the disease
process is often insidious and appropriate evaluation,
including pulmonary function tests, echocardiography,
and right-heart catheterization, may not be ordered
when the benefit of treatment might be more substantial.
One of the key issues concerns separating the potential
causes of pulmonary hypertension that may occur in
these patients and recognizing why they may require
more aggressive follow-up to identify an evolving
inflammatory com-ponent and potential progressive
vasculopathy.
For these reasons, the Pulmonary Hypertension
Round-table discussion in this issue will have broad
appeal to our readership, which includes cardiologists,
pulmonologists, and rheumatologists. Clearly, this
is a disease that is likely to pres-ent to each of
these groups, and by transcending the bound-aries
of these specialties, our discussion offers insights
about its incidence, evolution, and appropriate evaluation.
From the diverse backgrounds of our experts, you will
find clinical pearls relevant to your practice regardless
of your specialty. One of the goals of Advances in
Pulmonary Hypertensionis to bring you this kind of
distilled knowledge, based on contributions from the
Scientific Leadership Council of the Pulmonary Hypertension
Association (PHA). These physicians are listed on
page 2 and provide a tremendous breadth of experience
gathered at leading institutions throughout the world.
Their continued involvement with the journal gives
us one of the clearest perspectives on the latest
information in diagnosis and treatment.
We appreciate the warm welcome Advances
in Pulmonary Hypertensionhas received in the medical
community and look forward to fulfilling the commitment
PHA has made toward expanding your awareness of managing
this disease. We also welcome your comments and suggestions
regarding articles that appear in this issue by contacting
PHA.
Victor F. Tapson, MD
Editor-in-Chief
Articles
Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension,
Autumn 2002, Vol. 1, No. 2
Editor-in-Chief Richard Channick, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Pulmonary and Critical Care Division
University of California, San Diego Medical Center
San Diego, California
Immediate Past Editor Ronald J. Oudiz, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Director, Liu Center for Pulmonary Hypertension
LA Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Editor-in-Chief Elect Erika Berman Rosenzweig, MD
Director, Pulmonary
Hypertension Center, Columbia University Medical Center Associate
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics (in Medicine)
Associate Editors
Kristin Highland, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine
Medical University Of Carolina
Francisco Soto, MD, MS
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
Todd Bull, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Robert Schilz, DO, PhD
Medical Director of Lung
Transplantation and Pulmonary Vascular Disease
University Hospital of Cleveland
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
Publisher
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Carl Hicks, Board Chair
Rino Aldrighetti, President
Sherrie Borden, Vice President, Medical and Patient Education
Publishing Staff Managing Editor
Deborah L. McBride
McBride Strategic Services
mcbridedeb@aol.com
P: 773-348-5455
C: 312-307-5455
Design Director
Michael McClain
Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension is circulated to
cardiologists, pulmonologists, rheumatologists and other selected
physicians by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. The contents of the articles are independently determined by the Editor
and the Editorial Advisory Board.
Editorial Mission Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension is committed
to help physicians in their clinical decision
making by informing them of important
trends affecting their practice. Analyzing the
impact of new findings and covering current
information in the peer-reviewed literature,
Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension is published
four times a year. Advances in Pulmonary
Hypertension is the official journal
of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
Each article in this journal has been reviewed
and approved by members of the Editorial
Advisory Board.
Editorial Board
Charles Burger, MD
Medical Director, PH Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Jacksonville, FL
Karen Fagan, M.D. Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine University of South Alabama
Eli Gabbay, MD
Lung Transplant Unit
Royal Perth Hospital
Nick Kim, M.D.
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
University of California San Diego
Deborah Jo Levine, M.D.
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
Omar Minai, MD
Dept of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine
Myung Park, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Fernando Torres, MD Director Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic
UTSW Medical Center Dallas
University Hospital
Glenna Traiger, RN, MSN
Pulmonary & Critical Care
Pulmonary Hypertension CNS
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
R. James White, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology & Physiology
University of Rochester, Division of Pulmonary and CCM
Roham Zamanian, MD
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Stanford University Medical Center
The
information provided on the PHA website is provided for general information
only. It is not intended as legal, medical or other professional
advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations
with qualified professionals who are familiar with your individual
needs.
