Liver stiffness is associated with right heart dysfunction, cardiohepatic syndrome, and prognosis in pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can lead to congestive hepatopathy, known as cardiohepatic syndrome (CHS). Hepatic congestion is associated with increased liver stiffness, which can be quantified using shear wave elastography. We aimed to investigate whether hepatic shear wave elastography detects patients at risk in the early stages of PH.

Spontaneous echo contrast videodensity is flow-related and is dependent on the relative concentrations of fibrinogen and red blood cells.

Objectives: The purposes of the present study were to: 1) determine whether fibrinogen (Fg) is the plasma protein responsible for spontaneous echo contrast (SEC), and 2) investigate modulators of SEC.

Background: Spontaneous echo contrast has been linked to the development of thromboemboli. The blood products and their interaction responsible for SEC formation have not been fully elucidated.