Pulmonary hypertension and lung transplant in connective tissue disease-interstitial lung disease

There is a paucity of research and a lack of necessary guidance for proper characterization of pulmonary hypertension presenting in patients with connective tissue disease and interstitial lung disease, specifically related to differentiating between WHO group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension and WHO group 3 pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease and/or hypoxia. Without a mechanism for proper differentiation of the type of pulmonary hypertension that exists, appropriate management of this subset of individuals is particularly challenging. This review presents the pertinent research that exist regarding the intricacies of this disease state with the goal of providing improved guidance as to who may benefit from screening, diagnosis, treatment in a facility with expertise in the field, and referral for lung transplant.