title: Systemic and pulmonary flow in mitral stenosis: evidence for a bronchial vein shunt.
abstract: We measured pulmonary and systemic flows in 22 patients with mitral stenosis and in 7 controls. In patients with mitral stenosis, pulmonary flow index averaged 2.33 +/- 0.41 l/min/m2 and systemic flow index averaged 2.15 +/- 0.60 l/min/m2, p = 0.045. There was a strong correlation between the difference in pulmonary and systemic flow indexes and the difference in mean left and right atrial pressure (r = 0.749, p = 0.00008). After a successful dilatation in 17 patients, there was a significant drop in the difference between pulmonary and systemic flow indexes (0.26 +/- 0.41 vs. 0.07 +/- 0.37 l/min/m2, p = 0.048). We conclude that chronic elevation of left atrial pressure leads to a left to right shunt probably through bronchial veins.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cardiovascular Surgery Dr. Dragisa Misovic, Beograd, Yugoslavia.
authors.forename: U U
authors.initials: UU
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grujicic
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pejcic
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Djurisic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vucinic
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi / Q000098:blood supply*; D002404:Catheterization; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D013815:Thermodilution; D014680:Veins / Q000503:physiopathology