Portopulmonary hypertension: hemodynamics, pulmonary angiography, and configuration of the heart.
BACKGROUND
The goal of the present study was to examine the cardiac configuration and pulmonary vascular changes in patients with portopulmonary hypertension (PPHTN) and compare them with those of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH).


RESULTS
The subjects were 10 patients with PPHTN and 18 with IPAH. In PPHTN, the increases in the right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (89+/-19 vs 128+/-50 ml/m2; p=0.04), right end-systolic volume index (50+/-19 vs 95+/-47 ml/m 2; p=0.02) and right ventricular mass index (47+/-18 g/m2 vs 79+/-31; p=0.04) were low compared with IPAH. The decrease in the right ventricular ejection fraction was also low in PPHTN (45+/-10 vs 28+/-13%; p=0.01). The degree of sparse arborization and abrupt narrowing on wedged pulmonary angiography was moderate in PPHTN compared with IPAH. In PPHTN, the proximal pulmonary arteries were dilated near the segmental arteries, which were narrow in IPAH.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in the configuration of the heart were moderate in PPHTN compared with those in IPAH. The degree of sparse arborization and abrupt narrowing were also moderate in PPHTN.
Sakuma
Masahito
M
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine,Sendai, Japan. sakuma@cardio.med.tohoku.ac.jp
Souma
Shinko
S
Kitamukai
Osamu
O
Demachi
Jun
J
Takahashi
Tohru
T
Suzuki
Jun
J
Nawata
Jun
J
Sugimura
Kouichiro
K
Oikawa
Minako
M
Saji
Kenya
K
Tada
Tomohiro
T
Fukui
Shigefumi
S
Kagaya
Yutaka
Y
Watanabe
Jun
J
Shirato
Kunio
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013318:Stroke Volume; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods