[Pulmonary hypertension after spontaneous closure of an atrial septal defect in infancy (author's transl)]

Clinical findings and haemodynamic data of an infant with atrial septal defect and hypoplasia of the left ventricle are reported. At the first cardiac catheterization at the age of 3 weeks an interatrial left to right shunt of 55% and a moderately elevated pulmonary artery pressure, but normal pulmonary vascular resistance were found. At repeat cardiac catheterization at the age of 6 month the atrial septal defect had closed spontaneously, however, the pressure in the pulmonary artery had risen to 90/55 mm Hg and pulmonary vascular resistance was elevated with 9.6 Um2. 3 months later pulmonary artery pressure had normalized to 35/15 mm Hg, but pulmonary vascular resistance was still elevated at 7.8 Um2.