Pulmonary vascular complications in portal hypertension and liver disease: a concise review

Pulmonary Assessment of the Liver Transplant Recipient

Respiratory symptoms and hypoxemia can complicate chronic liver disease and portal hypertension. Various pulmonary disorders affecting the pleura, lung parenchyma, and pulmonary vasculature are seen in end-stage liver disease, complicating liver transplantation (LT). Approximately 8% of cirrhotic patients in an intensive care unit develop severe pulmonary problems. These disorders affect waiting list mortality and posttransplant outcomes. A thorough history, physical examination, and appropriate laboratory tests help diagnose and assess the severity to risk stratify pulmonary diseases before LT. Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), and hepatic hydrothorax (HH) are respiratory consequences specific to cirrhosis and portal hypertension. HPS is seen in 5-30% of cirrhosis cases and is characterized by impaired oxygenation due to intrapulmonary vascular dilatations and arteriovenous shunts. Severe HPS is an indication of LT. The majority of patients with HPS resolve their hypoxemia after LT. When pulmonary arterial hypertension occurs in patients with portal hypertension, it is called POPH. All other causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension should be ruled out before labeling as POPH. Since severe POPH (mean pulmonary artery pressure [mPAP] >50 mm Hg) is a relative contraindication for LT, it is crucial to screen for POPH before LT. Those with moderate POPH (mPAP >35 mm Hg), who improve with medical therapy, will benefit from LT. A transudative pleural effusion called hepatic hydrothorax (HH) is seen in 5-10% of people with cirrhosis. Refractory cases of HH benefit from LT. In recent years, increasing clinical expertise and advances in the medical field have resulted in better outcomes in patients with moderate to severe pulmonary disorders, who undergo LT.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension populations of special interest: portopulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease

Guidelines exist for management of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but information is limited for certain patient subgroups, including adults with portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) or with PAH associated with congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD). This article discusses screening, clinical management, and prognosis in PoPH and PAH-CHD and, as such, considers the most recent clinical data and expert advice. A multidisciplinary consultation and follow-up by specialists are crucial for management of both PoPH and PAH-CHD, but each condition presents with unique challenges. Development of PoPH most commonly occurs among patients with liver cirrhosis. Initially, patients may be asymptomatic for PoPH and, if untreated, survival with PoPH is generally worse than with idiopathic PAH (IPAH), so early identification with screening is crucial. PoPH can be managed with PAH-specific pharmacological therapy, and resolution is possible in some patients with liver transplantation. With PAH-CHD, survival rates are typically higher than with IPAH but vary across the four subtypes: Eisenmenger syndrome, systemic-to-pulmonary shunts, small cardiac defects, and corrected defects. Screening is also crucial and, in patients who undergo correction of CHD, the presence of PAH should be assessed immediately after repair and throughout their long-term follow-up, with frequency of assessments determined by the patient’s characteristics at the time of correction. Early screening for PAH in patients with portal hypertension or CHD, and multidisciplinary management of PoPH or PAH-CHD are important for the best patient outcomes.

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Associated with Congenital Portosystemic Shunts Treated with Transcatheter Embolization and Pulmonary Vasodilators

Cardiopulmonary abnormalities are often present in patients with liver diseases. We herein report a case of congenital portosystemic shunts complicated by hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH). A 57-year-old woman complained of dyspnea and was subsequently diagnosed with HPS and PoPH caused by congenital portosystemic shunts. Although shunt closure by transcatheter embolization was successfully performed, her dyspnea worsened and pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance elevated. Conventional vasodilator therapy was started, resulting in an improvement of pulmonary hypertension (PH). In some patients with congenital portosystemic shunts, shunt closure could exacerbate PH, and vasodilator therapy may be effective.