title: [Value of spiral computed tomography in pulmonary hypertension].
abstract: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) represents an important diagnostic problem, because of its non-specific clinical presentation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Estimation of sensitivity and specificity of spiral computed tomography (SCT) in diagnosis of PH. Estimation of the influence of the cause and character of PH on morphology of pulmonary arteries and right ventricle-pulmonary artery coupling.
  
  
  METHODS
  102 patients with clinical suspicion of acute pulmonary embolism (APE) or chronic PH (54F, av. age 51.3 +/- 17.3). Diameters of pulmonary arteries obtained in SCT, systolic pulmonary pressure calculated from the tricuspid gradient pressure, and indices of the right ventricle-pulmonary artery dynamical coupling (AcT) obtained from the echo-Doppler method were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased diameter (> 18 mm) of interlobar arteries was the most specific sign of PH (specificity 92%, sensitivity 45%). Diameter of proximal pulmonary arteries and pulmonary pressure was correlated in patients with APE (r = 0.487, p < 0.003), but not in those with chronic PH (r = 0.223). In a group of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), enlargement of proximal pulmonary arteries seemed to result in less disturbed right ventricle-pulmonary artery dynamic coupling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. SCT measurements of diameters of pulmonary arteries have relatively low sensitivity for PH, precluding its reliable exclusion. 2. The relationship between the pulmonary pressure and the diameters of pulmonary arteries was found in acute but not in chronic PH, in which right ventricle-pulmonary artery dynamical coupling seemed less disturbed when pulmonary arteries were markedly dilated.
authors.affiliation: Zakład Radiologii Instytutu Gruźlicy i Chorób Płuc w Warszawie.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burakowska
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pawlicka
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oniszh
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burakowski
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurzyna
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kober
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fijałkowska
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hajduk
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tomkowski
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bestry
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torbicki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed