Occurrence of hepatopulmonary syndrome in patients with cirrhosis who are candidates for liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the occurrence of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) in patients with cirrhosis who are candidates for liver transplantation; to compare demographic, clinical, laboratory, and spirometric characteristics, as well as echocardiography results, arterial blood gas analysis, and severity of liver disease between the groups of patients with and without HPS; and to describe the occurrence of HPS in the subgroup of patients with cirrhosis and schistosomiasis mansoni (mixed liver disease).


METHODS
Between January and November of 2007, we evaluated 44 patients under treatment at the Liver Transplant Outpatient Clinic of the Federal University of Pernambuco Hospital das Clínicas, in the city of Recife, Brazil. The diagnostic criteria for HPS were intrapulmonary vascular dilatation, identified by transthoracic echocardiography, and an alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference >or= 15 mmHg or a PaO2 < 80 mmHg.


RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 52 years, and 31 patients (70%) were male. The most common cause of cirrhosis was alcohol use. Schistosomiasis was present in 28 patients (64%). Of the 44 patients, 20 (45.5%) were diagnosed with HPS. No significant differences were found between those patients and the patients without HPS in terms of any of the characteristics studied. Of the 28 patients with cirrhosis and schistosomiasis, 10 (35.7%) were diagnosed with HPS.


CONCLUSIONS
In the population studied, HPS was highly prevalent and did not correlate with any of the variables analyzed.
Macêdo
Liana Gonçalves
LG
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. liana.macedo@ig.com.br
Lopes
Edmundo Pessoa de Almeida
EP
Albuquerque
Maria de Fátima Pessoa Militão de
Mde F
Markman-Filho
Brivaldo
B
Véras
Flávio Henrique Amaral Pires
FH
Araújo
Ana Carolina Chiappetta Correia de
AC
Ferraz
Alvaro Antônio Bandeira
AA
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D020065:Hepatopulmonary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000175:diagnosis*