Diagnosis of hepatopulmonary syndrome with contrast transthoracic echocardiography and histological confirmation.
We report a patient with cirrhosis and hepatopulmonary syndrome. This syndrome is an entity characterized by anomalies in the arterial oxygenation in patients with chronic hepatic disease and/or portal hypertension and demonstration of pulmonary vasodilatation (PV) in absence of primary cardiac or pulmonary disease. We show that the finding of PV with transthoracic contrast enhanced echocardiography (TCEE) in the diagnosis of PV is real and corresponds to direct measurement of capillary diameter by morphometry.
Department of Gastroenterology, University of Alcalá de Henares, H. Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
R
R
Aller
V
V
Moreira
D
D
Boixeda
J L
JL
Moya
D A
DA
de Luis
J L
JL
Enriquez
L
L
Fogué
D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D020065:Hepatopulmonary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D014664:Vasodilation