title: [Technics for the exploration of pulmonary arteriovenous shunts in liver cirrhosis. Apropos of 2 cases].
abstract: Pulmonary arterio-venous shunts represent a rare cause of hypoxia in cirrhosis. We present two cases, the first was an alcoholic cirrhotic with anthracosilicosis. This patient rapidly developed a picture of significant hypoxaemia with a raised alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. The presence of this shunt was confirmed by a scintigraphic analysis. A porto-pulmonary localisation was excluded by a changing angiographic picture. Death supervened after refractory hypoxaemia. Post mortem microangiographic studies confirmed the pulmonary nature of the shunt and its pre-capillary localisation. The second patient was alcoholic, with a compensated cirrhosis and developed severe hypoxaemia which progressed to death in less than two months, when he was being treated effectively with corticosteroids for a diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis confirmed histologically. The pulmonary localisation of the shunt was confirmed by an analysis of the angioscintigraphs. The different techniques for the investigation of intra-pulmonary shunt are discussed, as well as the patho-physiological mechanisms involved. The hormone levels measured (sex hormones, serotonin, prostaglandins, intestinal hormones) remained normal. The therapeutic trials tried out (oestrogen, CPD Choline, indomethacin) were ineffective.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
vernacular_title: Techniques d'exploration des shunts artério-veineux pulmonaires au cours des cirrhoses hépatiques. A propos de deux observations.