[Assessment of prevalence of intrapulmonary arterio-venous shunt in cirrhotic patients qualified to liver transplantation].
BACKGROUND
Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is the clinical relationship between hepatic dysfunction and the arterial hypoxygenation caused by significant intrapulmonary arteriovenous blood leakage. HPS is responsible for increased peritransplant mortality. Data on prevalence of HPS are contradictory and its clinical risk factors are still unknown. Aim of the study was assessment of prevalence of HPS in cirrhotic patients qualified to liver transplantation and determination of clinical risk factors of this syndrome.


METHODS
The study involved 30 patients with advanced liver cirrhosis of different etiology, qualified to liver transplantation. In all patients the laboratory hepatic examinations, pulmonary function tests (spirometry, gasometry) and albumin lungs-brain scintigraphy were performed.


RESULTS
We did not find symptomatic HPS in the investigated group, but 2 patients (6.6%) with alcoholic cirrhosis showed arterio-venous intrapulmonary shunt. No significant differences in demographic and clinical data were found between patients with and without intrapulmonary shunt.


CONCLUSIONS
Symptomatic HPS is rare complication of advanced cirrhosis. Symptom free intrapulmonary shunt occurs in less than 10% of patients, however, significance and clinical risk factors of this phenomenon remain unknown.
Boryczka
Grzegorz
G
Katedra i Klinika Gastroenterologii i Hepatologii Slaskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Katowicach. grzegorzboryczka@op.pl
Musialik
Joanna
J
Rudzki
Krystian
K
Nalewajka-Kołodziejczak
Joanna
J
Baron
Jan
J
Hartleb
Marek
M
D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D020065:Hepatopulmonary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors