[Hepatopulmonary syndrome in a patient with adenocarcinoma of the colon metastatic to the liver and no apparent chronic liver disease].

Hepatopulmonary syndrome consists of a clinical triad: arterial blood deoxygenation, intrapulmonary vasodilation, and liver disease. Both acute and chronic cases of this syndrome have been reported, and the most common cause is cirrhosis. The principle disease mechanism is dilation of the pulmonary blood vessels causing alterations in gas exchange.