Alabsawy E, Serry Y, Kotha S, Berry P, Tritto G. Hepatopulmonary syndrome as the first and only manifestation of cirrhosis in a patient with hypopituitarism.
BMJ Case Rep 2021;
14:e244805. [PMID:
34544714 PMCID:
PMC8454452 DOI:
10.1136/bcr-2021-244805]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is characterised by the development of intrapulmonary arteriovenous blood shunts and vascular dilatation with consequent hypoxaemia, usually in the context of end-stage liver disease (ESLD). The estimated incidence of HPS in ESLD has been reported to be 13%-47%. Chronic liver disease has been described in patients with hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction, mainly in the form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease due to metabolic syndrome, with occasional progression to cirrhosis. We report a challenging case of a 27-year-old man with a background of hypopituitarism with no known liver disease who presented with progressive dyspnoea and hypoxaemia and was eventually diagnosed with severe HPS.
Collapse