Pulmonary calcification in hemodialysis patients: correlation with pulmonary artery pressure values.
BACKGROUND
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receiving chronic hemodialysis (HD) via an arteriovenous (A-V) access often develop unexplained pulmonary hypertension (PHT). This study evaluated the role of pulmonary calcification (PC) in this phenomenon.


METHODS
The clinical manifestations, systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) values measured by Doppler echocardiography and the presence and the extent of PC expressed by lung uptake of 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy, were studied in 49 patients with ESRD receiving chronic HD therapy via A-V access. The correlation between PC and PHT was investigated.


RESULTS
There were 36 men and 13 women with a mean age of 61.7 +/- 13.2 years receiving HD therapy for 38.2 +/- 43.7 months. Twenty (40.8%) patients had PC expressed by increased lung uptake of 99mTc- MDP and 28 (57.1%) patients had PHT with a mean systolic PAP of 46 +/- 11 mm Hg. No correlation was found between PC and PHT.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that PC expressed by lung uptake of 99mTc-MDP has no role in the pathogenesis of PHT among ESRD patients undergoing HD therapy via A-V access.
Yigla
Mordechai
M
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Rambam Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. m_yigla@rambam.health.gov.il
Keidar
Zohar
Z
Safadi
Isra
I
Tov
Naveh
N
Reisner
Shimon A
SA
Nakhoul
Farid
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate