A case of primary pulmonary hypertension treated with yearlong administration of oral phenoxybenzamine

A 26 year old woman with primary pulmonary hypertension received oral phenoxybenzamine, 15-30 mg daily, over a year without serious side effects. The patient was discharged after phenoxybenzamine therapy for 6 months, because her subjective complaints improved gradually with reduction of the Cardiac Thoracic Ration of chest X-ray films from 60% to 54% . However, she was readmitted for right heart failure precipitated by a common cold. It is suggested that oral phenoxybenzamine for primary pulmonary hypertension is effective in alleviating subjective complaints, but the effects may only be temporary.