Background: Intrapulmonary vascular abnormalities associated with liver cirrhosis may result in intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt and hypoxemia. The aim of this study was to use contrast enhanced echocardiography to detect intrapulmonary vascular abnormalities in patients with liver cirrhosis candidates for liver transplantation. Methods: One hundred and two adult patients underwent contrast enhanced echocardiography to determine the prevalence of intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt and its relationship to the severity of hepatic disease, arterial oxygenation, and spider angioma. Results: The rate of patients with positive and negative contrast enhanced echocardiography was 44% and 56%, respectively. There was no significant difference in age, sex, or etiology of liver cirrhosis in patients with and without intrapulmonary shunt. Patients with intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt had more severe hepatic disease compared with those without shunt (Child-Pugh score 12±2 vs 8±2). There was significant difference in the partial arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2) values in patients with grade 3+ to 4+ left ventricular opacification by microbubbles compared with those without evidence of intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt (64±6 vs 82±10 mmHg). Twenty eight of the patients with intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt had cutaneous spider angioma. Conclusion: The findings suggest that there was a significant relation between severity of liver cirrhosis and presence of intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt or severity of hypoxemia. The data also indicate that cirrhotic patients with cutaneous spider angioma most likely have the shunt.
Zamirian, M. & Aslani, A. (2007). Contrast Enhanced Echocardiography for Detection of Intrapulmonary Shunts in Liver Transplant Candidates. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 32(1), 1–4.
MLA
Zamirian, M., & Aslani, A. "Contrast Enhanced Echocardiography for Detection of Intrapulmonary Shunts in Liver Transplant Candidates", Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 32, 1, 2007, 1–4.
HARVARD
Zamirian, M., & Aslani, A. (2007). 'Contrast Enhanced Echocardiography for Detection of Intrapulmonary Shunts in Liver Transplant Candidates', Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 32(1), pp. 1–4.
CHICAGO
Zamirian, M. & Aslani, A., "Contrast Enhanced Echocardiography for Detection of Intrapulmonary Shunts in Liver Transplant Candidates." Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 32 1 (2007): 1–4,
VANCOUVER
Zamirian M., Aslani A. Contrast Enhanced Echocardiography for Detection of Intrapulmonary Shunts in Liver Transplant Candidates. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2007;32(1):1–4.