Hepatopulmonary Syndrome Diagnosis in the ICU: The Relevance of Bedside Contrast Saline Echocardiography.

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is an underdiagnosed complication of chronic liver disease (CLD) characterised by the presence of hypoxaemia due to intrapulmonary vascular dilatations. We present two cases of HPS diagnosed during their stay in the ICU. Both patients had a medical history of alcoholic CLD with portal hypertension (PH).

[Portal pseudo-hypertension].

Authors present a case report of a 51 years old man, with a past history of peptic ulcer, arterial hypertension and dislipidemia. Three weeks before hospitalization he did a upper endoscopy that revealed a duodenal ulcer and oesophageal varices (grade II/III). During etiologic investigation, hepatic disease and portal hypertension were excluded.