Percutaneous Balloon Pulmonary Valvuloplasty in a 40-Year Old Woman with Cyanosis

pp. 65-68

Abstract

Isolated pulmonary valve stenosis is uncommon. As the diagnosis and treatment of this condition is made during childhood, it is a rare finding in adult patients. We describe the case of a 40-year old female patient with dyspnea during slight exertion, central cyanosis and nail clubbing with a critical pulmonary valve stenosis and right-to-left shunt through a patent foramen ovale. The pulmonary valve gradient was 150mm Hg. Percutaneous pulmonary valvuloplasty was performed using a Nucleus balloon catheter (Numed Cardiac Diagnostics). Immediately after the procedure, the pulmonary gradient measured by cardiac catheterization and echocardiography decreased to 23mm Hg. Six months later the cyanosis had disappeared and the gradient was 19mm Hg. The patient lives a normal life with no limitations in her quality of life and lifestyle.