[Update on the pathomorphological assessment of vasculopathies in pulmonary arterial hypertension]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a term which has recently been redefined and includes idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, familial pulmonary arterial hypertension PAH related to specific pathological conditions (e.g. connective tissue diseases), as well as PAH caused by veno-occlusive disease or capillary hemangiomatosis. The clinical manifestation seems to be related to a peculiar pathological anatomy involving small, muscular pulmonary arteries, capillaries and veins. In addition to common hypertrophy of the tunica media, other vascular compartments may also be affected by intimal thickening or adventitial fibrosis. Moreover, complex lesions, such as so called plexiform lesions and arteritis can be present in certain forms of the disease. While the recent identification of responsible gene mutations in subgroups of patients have shed some light on disease evolution, therapeutic strategies must currently rely on vasodilative and antimitogenic drugs acting on the intimal and medial level of the affected pulmonary vessels. The clinical outcome of patients suffering from PAH remains poor, underlining our need for a better comprehension of disease pathophysiology, and thus for the characterization of specific histomorphological patterns.