[Clinical characteristics of pulmonary hypertension patients in two reference centers in the city of Sao Paulo]

Describe the clinical profile of PH patients from two pulmonary hypertension centers.Retrospective chart analysis.One hundred and twenty three PH patients were included in the study; 62% of these presented functional class III or IV (NYHA). Mean right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP) was 83.48+/-24.61 mmHg. There was no correlation between functional class and RVSP. About 50% of the patients were diagnosed as IPAH; 30% as pulmonary hypertension associated to schistosomiasis; 10% as PH associated to connective tissue diseases. Mean time of dyspnea until diagnosis was variable with no correlation with functional class (p0.05). No difference was found in the clinical presentation in spite of the diverse etiologies.Based upon our findings, we stressed the need for an active investigation of PH patients prior to administration of any therapeutic alternative. We emphasized that a better understanding of PH related to schistosomiasis is needed due to the high prevalence of this condition among PH patients as shown in the Brazilian population.