Platypnea

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Platypnea or platypnoea is shortness of breath (dyspnea) that is relieved when lying down, and worsens when sitting or standing upright. It is the opposite of orthopnea.[1] The condition was first described in 1949 and named in 1969.[2]

A related condition, orthodeoxia, describes the clinical finding of low oxygen saturation in the upright position, which improves when lying down.[3]

Platypnea and orthodeoxia (low oxygen levels when in upright posture) can co-exist, and this combination is named platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome.[4][5] The syndrome is considered extremely rare however.[4]

Causes

Platypnea is usually due to either

portal circulation reaches the inferior vena cava without passing through the liver sufficiently (Abernethy malformation, type 1).[citation needed
]

Etymology and pronunciation

The word platypnea uses

combining forms of platy- + -pnea, from Greek platus (= flat) and pnoia (=breath). See pronunciation information at dyspnea.

See also

References