Assessment of erythrocyte deformability in an obese case of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Abstract

Erythrocyte deformability plays a key role in pulmonary microcirculation, which raised the hypothesis that erythrocyte deformability is impaired in pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and subsequent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). We encountered a case of PTE followed by CTEPH and investigated erythrocyte deformability by our specified filtration technique to test this hypothesis. Erythrocyte deformability was normal before but was impaired after the onset of PTE. It was restored partially in the stage of CTEPH. This case taught us that erythrocyte deformability is impaired and that this impairment relates to the hemodynamics of pulmonary microcirculation and pathophysiology of PTE and CTEPH.