Left ventricular volumes in liver cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis have left ventricular dimensions similar to controls. Few data have been reported in patients with cirrhosis of viral origin.


OBJECTIVE
To assess left ventricular dimensions in patients with pure viral cirrhosis.


METHODS
Thirty patients with virus-related cirrhosis, 23 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and 12 healthy controls were submitted to measurement of left ventricular volumes, cardiac output, mean arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance.


RESULTS
Patients with cirrhosis showed a similar increase in cardiac index and heart rate and reduction of mean arterial pressure and peripheral vascular resistance in comparison to controls, irrespective of the aetiology. Left ventricular end systolic volume index was lower (p<0.01) and ejection fraction higher (p<0.01) in virus-related cirrhotic patients [mean +/- SD, respectively 12.4+/-4.1 ml/sqm and 77.9%) in comparison both to controls (21.5+/-6.3 ml/sqm and 66.8%) and alcoholics (20.6+/-7.0 ml/sqm and 68.8%). End diastolic volume index was not significantly different between the three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate smaller left ventricular volumes and higher ejection fraction in pure virus-related cirrhosis than in alcoholic cirrhosis and controls. Since peripheral haemodynamics proved similar in virus- and alcohol-related cirrhosis, a subclinical alcohol cardiomyopathy may be hypothesised to account for the absence of such left ventricular pattern in alcoholic patients.
Piscaglia
F
F
Division of Internal Medicine, University of Bologna, Italy. Piscagl@almadns.unibo.it
Valgimigli
M
M
Rapezzi
C
C
Ferlito
M
M
Gaiani
S
S
Siringo
S
S
Gramantieri
L
L
Bolondi
L
L
D001794:Blood Pressure; D002302:Cardiac Output; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013318:Stroke Volume; D014655:Vascular Resistance