Anikethana G. V1, Ravikumar T. N2, Chethan Kumar K. L3
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND AND OBEJECTIVE: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a well-recognized entity in patients with cirrhosis of liver. Various studies have reported a prevalence varying from 2-20%. Present study was intended to find the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in patients with cirrhosis and to look for the risk factors for pulmonary hypertension. METHODOLOGY: 100 consecutive patients with cirrhosis of liver attending outpatient department and admitted in medicine ward at KIMS, Hubli, were taken for study after considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The informed written consent was taken from the patients. Detailed history, examination with relevant investigations including ultrasonography abdomen and endoscopy was done. Patients were screened by echocardiography for presence of PAH. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients with cirrhosis 17% were found to have pulmonary arterial hypertension by echocardiography. There was no statistically significant association between the gender, etiology of cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and severity of liver disease with the risk of development of pulmonary arterial hypertension. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: Due to small sample size risk factors with smaller effect sizes may not have been detected. The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension was noted to be more common in the patients with portal hypertension (18.6%), female sex (26.67%) and Child pugh class C (20%), but was not statistically significant. The high prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in this study may be due to the use of echocardiography, rather than the right heart catheterization for diagnosis of PAH.
