Contrast echocardiography in the diagnosis of intrapulmonary vascular dilations in patients eligible for liver transplantation.

Objective: To determine the importance of contrast echocardiography in the diagnosis of intrapulmonary vascular dilations (PVD) in patients with severe hepatic diseases, eligible for transplantation.

Methods: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with second harmonic imaging was performed in 76 patients, among them 32 patients were consecutively undergone to a transesophageal study (ETE). Echocardiographic contrast was obtained from microbubbles derived from the injection of agitated saline solution, in venous peripheral access.