Successful treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and pulmonary hypertension with intravenous prostaglandin I-2 followed by its oral analogue

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is sometimes reported to complicate fata l pulmonary hypertension, A 46-year-old woman, with a ten-year history of S LE and pulmonary hypertension, was admitted to our hospital complaining of dyspnea and chest pain. She suffered pulmonary hemorrhage and after steroid pulse therapy, she underwent continuous intravenous infusion of epoprosten ol (prostaglandin I-2) with corticosteroid for four weeks, which reduced th e pulmonary artery pressure and resistance. Following the successful treatm ent, beraprost sodium, an oral PGI, analogue, was given and it maintained p ulmonary hypertension remittance for four years.