Occurrence of hepatopulmonary syndrome in patients with cirrhosis who are candidates for liver transplantation.

Objective: To determine the occurrence of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) in patients with cirrhosis who are candidates for liver transplantation; to compare demographic, clinical, laboratory, and spirometric characteristics, as well as echocardiography results, arterial blood gas analysis, and severity of liver disease between the groups of patients with and without HPS; and to describe the occurrence of HPS in the subgroup of patients with cirrhosis and schistosomiasis mansoni (mixed liver disease).

Methods: Between January and November of 2007, we evaluated 44 patients under treatment at the Liver Transplant Outpatient Clinic of the Federal University of Pernambuco Hospital das Clínicas, in the city of Recife, Brazil. The diagnostic criteria for HPS were intrapulmonary vascular dilatation, identified by transthoracic echocardiography, and an alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference >or= 15 mmHg or a PaO2 < 80 mmHg.

Hepatopulmonary syndrome in patients with Schistosoma mansoni periportal fibrosis.

Unlabelled: Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is characterized by the presence of liver disease, arterial hypoxemia and intrapulmonary vascular dilatation (IPVD). IPVD includes diffused or localized dilated pulmonary capillaries and, less commonly, pleural and pulmonary arteriovenous communications. The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of HPS in patients with Schistosoma mansoni periportal fibrosis in treatment at a university hospital in northeastern Brazil.