Evaluation of patients with suspected chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) can be a difficult diagnosis to establish, typically requiring a high index of suspicion on the part of the clinician when challenged by a patient reporting exertional dyspnea. The importance of this diagnosis is heightened by the appreciation that it is a potentially curable form of pulmonary hypertension, by a surgical procedure called pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. This article highlights the clinical presentation, evaluation, and criteria for surgical candidacy of those patients suspected of having CTEPH.