The clinical features of neurological disorders after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Abstract

Objective Investigate the clinical features of the neurological disorders in patients after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism , analyze the factorial. Methods A retrospective study was made of 26 patients who underwent PTE between 2002 and 2010 in Beijing Chao-Yang hospital. The symptom of neurological system disorders occurred in the survivors were been investigate. The preoperative conditions and the perioperative conditions of all survivors were investigated. Compared the differences between the groups with neurological system disorders and the groups without. Results There were 22 patients of 26 survived after the surgery. Cardiac function of the survivors improved, and the quality of life improved significantly. 5 cases of the 22 survivors had symptoms of neurological system disorders. 3 patients showed lethargy, delirium, memory disorders, brain CT found no abnormal, symptoms recovered within 2 weeks. The fourth patient showed ataxia, unsteady gait, dance-like movements symmetry, in addition to the above symptoms, brain CT no abnormal showed,brain MRI showed bilateral abnormal signal in the midbrain, basal ganglia, symptoms improved and discharged after 8 weeks, the symptoms completely disappeared 6 months, and the abnormal signals in brain in MRI disappeared. The fifth patient with similar symptoms to the fourth, brain CT no abnormal found, be discharged 10 weeks after the operation, recovery is poor, living part of themselves. The postoperative neurological disorders occurred in the patients of Jamieson surgery type Ⅲ type, Ⅳ type of larger proportion, (P = 0.024), longer circulatory arrest surgery (P = 0.034). Conclusion The neurological disorders postoperative PTE often showed diffuse symmetric cerebral cortex and basal ganglia nerve dysfunction, brain MRI showed abnormal signal corresponding region, the majority of symptoms disappeared in 2 - 8 weeks, abnormal signal in brain MRI could disappeared after 6 months. Neurological dysfunction occurs in patients with more difficult surgical procedure, longer circulatory arrest, suggesting that with the surgery cerebral ischemia and hypoxia related. Key words: Chronic pulmonary thromboembolismc pulmonary hypertension; Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy; Prognosis; Circulatory arrest; Neurological system disorders