From the Research
There is no established link between acute Matamo virus infection and pulmonary hypertension on echocardiography, and therefore, the evaluation and management of pulmonary hypertension should focus on known causes, such as left heart disease, chronic lung disease, chronic thromboembolic disease, or idiopathic causes, as outlined in recent guidelines 1. The diagnostic workup for pulmonary hypertension typically includes right heart catheterization to confirm the diagnosis, followed by appropriate imaging studies, blood tests, and functional assessments to determine the underlying etiology and guide treatment decisions 2. Some viral infections, such as HIV, human herpesvirus 8, or hepatitis C, have been associated with pulmonary hypertension, but Matamo virus is not a recognized or documented pathogen in medical literature 3. If a patient presents with pulmonary hypertension on echocardiography, a standard evaluation should include assessment of these known causes rather than attributing it to Matamo virus. Key considerations in the management of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension include optimization of right ventricular preload, reduction of right ventricular afterload, correction of hypotension, and augmentation of right ventricular inotropy, as well as transfer to centers with experience in treating this complex population whenever possible 4. In terms of specific management, targeted treatments, such as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators, endothelin receptor antagonists, prostacyclin analogues, and prostacyclin receptor agonists, are licensed for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and surgical pulmonary endarterectomy is the treatment of choice for eligible patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension 2.