This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Auletta, M. Articles by Antoniello, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Auletta, M. Articles by Antoniello, S. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Cirrhosis Pulmonary Hypertension Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Liver Cirrhosis: An Echocardiographic Study

Department of Clinical Medicine and Cardiovascular Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

Ugo Oliviero, MD

Department of Clinical Medicine and Cardiovascular Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

Luigi Iasiuolo, MD

Department of Clinical Medicine and Cardiovascular Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

Giovanna Scherillo, MD

Department of Clinical Medicine and Cardiovascular Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

Salvatore Antoniello, MD

Department of Clinical Medicine and Cardiovascular Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

Conflicting results about the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension, ranging from 0.25% to 20%, in liver patients with portal hypertension, have previously been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate pulmonary arterial pressure in a consecutive series of cirrhotic patients, using a noninvasive method. A complete clinical, laboratory, ultra sonographic, and endoscopic evaluation were performed in 83 consecutive liver patients assessed according to Child's classification and Pugh's score and according to evidence of ultrasonographic and/or endoscopic signs of portal hypertension. A complete echocar diographic evaluation was also performed and pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) was estimated by measuring tricuspidal regurgitation, using the modified Bernoulli equation. These same evaluations were performed by the same observers in a group of 60 healthy volunteers. The results showed a surprisingly high prevalence (about 20%) of pulmonary hypertension. Patients with more severe liver damage and portal hypertension showed a high prevalence for pulmonary hypertension. A progression in the frequency of portopulmonary hypertension (PPH) was found in Child's classification A to C, and in patients without to patients with evidence of portal hypertension. However, increased PASP was detected in some patients belonging to Child's class A, without evidence of portal hypertension. (continued on next page)

In conclusion, the echocardiographic examination (a noninvasive technique), appears suitable for detecting pulmonary hypertension in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis, and can elucidate some aspects of the clinical course of the so-called PPH syndrome.

Angiology, Vol. 51, No. 12, 1013-1020 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/000331970005101206


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?