[Bronchoscopic appearance of the bronchial mucosa in pulmonary venous hypertension]

The authors studied the bronchoscopic appearance of bronchial mucosa's vessel contour in pulmonary venous hypertension in 20 patients with mitral stenosis and in 20 with cardiomyopathy and/or aortic vitium. The submucous venous congestion was scored on the base of its extent and severity according to Ohmichi. They have observed a linear relation between the PPA (wedge) and PPA values in patients with mitral stenosis and the total scores indicatory of submucous venous congestion. The mean total scores of patients with mitral stenosis as well as cardiomyopathic patients showing volume-loading of the pulmonary circuit and/or aortic vitium differed to the benefit of the former. Mucosa's vessel contour of grade 3 was found in 12 patients with mitral stenosis and only in 4 cases of cardiomyopathy and/or aortic vitium, so that is more characteristic of mitral stenosis. In spite of this, condition of patients with cardiomyopathy and/or aortic vitium are considered more severe on the base of NYHA values. Taking both patient populations into consideration relation between NYHA-phase and the degree of total scores could not have been proved. Venous congestion on lower part of the left main bronchus was observed in every patient. Appearance of congestive bronchial mucosa has not occurred in pure precapillary pulmonary hypertension.