Hemodynamic profile of portopulmonary hypertension

Portopulmonary Hypertension: A Complex Case Derived from Multiple Penetrating Trauma-Induced Mesenteric Arteriovenous Fistulae

Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) is a well-recognized complication of portal hypertension. This study reports a case of PoPH that was secondarily caused by post-traumatic mesenteric arteriovenous fistula. A 38-year-old man with a history of knife stabbing wounds in the abdomen in 2003 was admitted to the hospital with exertional shortness of breath and a mechanic murmur over the umbilical region. Computed tomography indicated signs of PoPH and mesenteric arteriovenous fistula. Percutaneous catheter-directed embolization was first performed but failed. Subsequently, the patient was successfully treated with fistula resection and partial enterectomy. The patient had been postoperatively followed regularly, and chief symptoms had been alleviated significantly and pulmonary pressure had successfully decreased to normal range. We believe that this is the first case of PoPH caused by mesenteric arteriovenous fistula.

Portopulmonary hypertension

Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) refers to the condition that pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) occur in the stetting of portal hypertension. The development of PoPH is thought to be independent of the severity of portal hypertension or the etiology or severity of liver disease. PoPH results from excessive vasoconstriction, vascular remodeling, and proliferative and thrombotic events within the pulmonary circulation that lead to progressive right ventricular failure and ultimately to death. Untreated PoPH is associated with a poor prognosis. As PoPH is frequently asymptomatic or symptoms are generally non-specific, patients should be actively screened for the presence of PoPH. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography is a useful non-invasive screening tool, but a definitive diagnosis requires invasive hemodynamic confirmation by right heart catheterization. Despite a dearth of randomized, prospective data, an ever-expanding clinical experience shows that patients with PoPH benefit from therapy with PAH-specific medications including with endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, and/or prostanoids. Due to high perioperative mortality, transplantation should be avoided in those patients who have severe PoPH that is refractory to medical therapy.

Portopulmonary hypertension in liver transplant candidates

Pulmonary vascular disorders including portopulmonary hypertension (PoPHT) are among the common complications of liver disease and are prognostically significant. Survival is very low without medical treatment and liver transplantation. With advances in medical therapy for elevated pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and liver transplant surgery, survival of patients with PoPHT and advanced liver disease is significantly improved. Because of the prognostic significance of PoPHT and the limited donor pool, a comprehensive preoperative cardio-pulmonary assessment is of great importance in cirrhotic patients prior to transplant surgery. Therefore, a detailed transthoracic Doppler echocardiographic examination must be an essential component of this evaluation. Patients with mild PoPHT can safely undergo liver transplant surgery. In cases of moderate to severe PoPHT, right heart catheterization (RHC) should be performed. In patients with moderate to severe PoPHT on RHC (mean PAP 35-45 mmHg), vasodilator therapy should be attempted. Liver transplantation should be encouraged in cases that demonstrate a positive response. Bridging therapy with specific pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment agents should be considered until the transplant surgery and should be continued during the peri- and post-operative periods as needed.

A 45-Year-Old Undiagnosed Cirrhotic Patient with Hepatopulmonary Syndrome as First Presentation: A Case Report

Patient: Male, 45

Final Diagnosis: Hepatopulmonary syndrome

Symptoms: Dyspnea • edema of feet

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: None

Specialty: Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension: recent knowledge in pathogenesis and overview of clinical assessment

Hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension are cardiopulmonary complications, which are not infrequently seen in patients with liver disease and/or portal hypertension. These entities are both clinically and pathophysiologically different: the hepatopulmonary syndrome is characterized by abnormal pulmonary vasodilation and right-to-left shunting resulting in gas exchange abnormalities, whereas portopulmonary hypertension is caused by pulmonary artery vasoconstriction leading to hemodynamic failure. As both hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension are associated with significantly increased morbidity and mortality, and as these patients are commonly asymptomatic, all liver transplantation candidates should be actively screened for the presence of these two complications. The aim of is this review is to provide an overview on the hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension with primary focus on diagnosis and recent knowledge regarding pathogenesis and therapeutic targets.

What do we take consideration in the patient who has an unpredicted severe portopulmonary hypertension in liver transplantation?: a case report

Severe portopulmonary hypertension (PPHT) is considered a contraindication for liver transplantation (LT) because of the associated high mortality and poor prognosis. We report the case of a 57-year-old cirrhotic woman with severe PPHT (mean pulmonary artery pressure [mPAP] > 65 mmHg), who underwent a successful living donor LT. Intra-operative use of inhaled iloprost, milrinone, dobutamine, and postoperative use of inhaled nitric oxide and oral sildenafil failed to lower the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). The patient responded only to nitroglycerin and drainage of massive ascites. Meticulous intra-operative volume control, which included minimizing blood loss and subsequent transfusion, was carried out. The use of vasopressors, which may have elevated the PAP, was strictly restricted. Intra-operative PAP did not show an increase, and the hemodynamics was maintained within relatively normal range, compared to the preoperative state. The patient was discharged without any complications or related symptoms.

Echocardiography for the detection of portopulmonary hypertension in liver transplant candidates: an analysis of cutoff values

Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), a complication of chronic liver disease, may be a contraindication to liver transplantation (LT) because of the elevated risk of peritransplant and posttransplant morbidity and mortality. Because POPH is frequently asymptomatic, screening with echocardiography is recommended. The only reliable technique, however, for diagnosing POPH is right heart catheterization (RHC). The aims of this study were to evaluate the current estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) cutoff value of 30 mm Hg and to determine a better cutoff value. One hundred fifty-two patients underwent pretransplant echocardiography between January 2005 and December 2010. These echocardiographic results were compared with pulmonary artery pressures measured during the pretransplant workup or at the beginning of the transplantation procedure (both by catheterization). With a cutoff value of 30 mm Hg, 74 of the 152 patients met the criteria for POPH on echocardiography, although the diagnosis was confirmed in only 7 patients during catheterization; this resulted in a specificity of 54%. It would have been more accurate to use a cutoff value of 38 mm Hg, which had a maximal specificity of 82% and, at the same time, guaranteed a sensitivity and negative predictive value of 100%. With the incorporation of the presence or absence of right ventricular dilatation, the specificity even increased to 93% for this new cutoff value. In conclusion, the prevalence of POPH was 4.6% among LT candidates in this study. We can recommend that LT candidates with an sPAP > 38 mm Hg should be referred for RHC. With the cutoff value increased from 30 to 38 mm Hg, the number of patients undergoing invasive RHC during their evaluation could be safely reduced.

A rare cause of hypoxia in a patient with liver cirrhosis

Pulmonary syndromes in the setting of hepatic disease with portal hypertension include portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hepatic hydrothorax. POPH is defined as pulmonary arterial hypertension with portal hypertension in the absence of other causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension. HPS is a defect in arterial oxygenation as a result of pulmonary micro vascular dilatation in the setting of liver disease. We discuss a case of 63-year-old female with liver cirrhosis, exertional dyspnea and hypoxia associated with coexistence of POPH and HPS. The coexistence of POPH and HPS is rare entity which can generate a renewal of interest in further understanding the intricate pathologies behind these diseases.