Iron therapy as a novel treatment of scleroderma‐related pulmonary hypertension: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Abstract Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is the leading cause of death in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), with a 3‐year mortality of 40%–50% despite optimal therapy. Treatment mirrors that of idiopathic PAH and is often ineffective. This is a case report of a patient with SSc evaluated for progressive dyspnoea with exertion and found to have elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressures (PASPs). She received ferritin‐targeted iron infusions as a novel treatment of suspected SSc‐associated PAH, with subsequent resolution of respiratory symptoms and PASPs that normalized. We review PAH especially associated with SSc, its treatment and identify a possible novel therapeutic approach for those with PAH‐SSc.

Keywords

• iron therapy
• pulmonary arterial hypertension
• pulmonary hypertension
• scleroderma
• systemic sclerosis