Hypoxemia and liver cirrhosis (hepatopulmonary syndrome) in eight patients: comparison of the central and peripheral pulmonary vasculature.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the pulmonary vasculature in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conventional computed tomographic (CT) scans in eight patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome were retrospectively evaluated to compare the diameters of the pulmonary trunk, right and left main pulmonary arteries, and peripheral pulmonary vasculature in the right posterior basal segment with those in eight healthy subjects and in four patients with normoxemic cirrhosis. With thin-section CT, the ratio of segmental arterial diameter to adjacent bronchial diameter in the right lower lobe in four patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome was compared with that in four patients with normoxemic cirrhosis.
RESULTS: In patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome, the peripheral pulmonary vasculature was significantly dilated compared with that in control subjects and in patients with normoxemic cirrhosis (P = .002); however, the central pulmonary arteries were not significantly dilated (P > .05). At thin-section CT, the ratio of segmental arterial diameter to adjacent bronchial diameter was significantly greater than that in patients with normoxemic cirrhosis (P < .05).
CONCLUSION: In patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome, the peripheral pulmonary vasculature is significantly dilated. Dilatation of the peripheral pulmonary vasculature may be helpful in the diagnosis of hepatopulmonary syndrome.