HIGH-OUTPUT HEART-FAILURE AS A CAUSE OF PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION

Two cases of high-output heart failure associated with pulmonary hyper tension are presented. In a 32-year-old man with hyperthyroidism, pulm onary hypertension subsided after antithyroid therapy. Increased pulmo nary blood flow and elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure w ere suspected as the causes of pulmonary hypertension. In a 51-year-ol d man with cardiac beriberi, the pulmonary hypertension improved after thiamine administration. We suspect that increased pulmonary blood fl ow, elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and probably pul monary vasoconstriction were the causes of pulmonary hypertension. Thu s, high-output heart failure should be considered as a possible cause of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure.