Zardi EM, Giorgi C, Dobrina A, Vecile E, Zardi DM. Analogies and differences between cirrhotic cardiomyopathy and hepatopulmonary syndrome.
Med Res Rev 2020;
41:739-753. [PMID:
33174630 DOI:
10.1002/med.21755]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy and hepatopulmonary syndrome are two quite frequent clinical entities that may complicate the course of liver cirrhosis. The common pathophysiological origin and the same clinical presentation make them difficult to compare. Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy and hepatopulmonary syndrome may start with dyspnea and breathlessness but the former is characterized by a chronic cardiac dysfunction and the latter by a defect of oxygenation due to pulmonary shunts formation. The focus is to differentiate them as soon as possible since the treatment is different until the patient undergoes liver transplant that is the real unique cure for them.
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