Plexogenic pulmonary hypertension associated with intravenous cocaine abuse

Intravenous drug abuse related plexogenic pulmonary hypertension unassociated with recurrent thromboembolism or foreign-body granulomatous disease of the lung has not been previously reported. Herein, we describe the occurrence of fatal plexogenic pulmonary hypertension in a 33-year-old Hispanic woman who had a history of chronic intravenous drug abuse. In the absence of other known causes, cocaine-induced chronic vasoconstriction was the most probable pathogenic mechanism of plexogenic pulmonary hypertension in this patient.