title: Value of contrast echocardiography for the diagnosis of hepatopulmonary syndrome.
abstract: The hepatopulmonary syndrome must be suspected in patients with end-stage liver disease and refractory hypoxemia. We report a case of a 49-year-old woman with hypoxemia and cirrhosis referred to the cardiac ultrasound laboratory in the evaluation of liver transplantation. Contrast-enhanced echocardiography with intravenous injection of agitated saline solution was crucial to obtain the definitive diagnosis. This imaging modality has proven to be a valuable tool in detecting intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt. The present case emphasizes the usefulness of contrast echocardiography in the diagnosis of a noncardiac disease with important prognosis implications.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Ultrasound Laboratory, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitario del Río Hortega, Avda. Santa Teresa 9, 47010 Valladolid, Spain. mariajrollan@yahoo.es
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rollán
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bratos
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D020065:Hepatopulmonary Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin