Primary Pulmonary Hypertension: An Unusual Case Associated with Extrahepatic Portal Hypertension

A patient with both extrahepatic portal hypertension and primary pulmonary hypertension is reported. The pulmonary hypertension developed without a surgical portal‐systemic shunt, and at autopsy there was no evidence of a large spontaneous shunt. This association of pulmonary arterial hypertension and portal venous hypertension without either intrinsic liver disease or a large portal‐systemic anastomosis has not been reported previously. Our case supports the concept that portal hypertension with its attendant portal‐systemic collateral circulation may be the major predisposing cause of pulmonary hypertension both in intrinsic liver disease and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction.