Echocardiographic study in cirrhotic patient candidates for liver transplantation

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hepatology
• Transplantation Medicine

Background:

• Cirrhosis, a severe liver disease, is associated with various systemic complications.
• Cardiac involvement is a recognized comorbidity in patients with advanced liver disease.
• Understanding cardiac alterations is crucial for managing liver transplant candidates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prevalence and types of cardiac alterations in liver transplant candidates with cirrhosis.
• To compare cardiac findings among different etiologies of cirrhosis: alcoholic, viral, and primary biliary.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-one liver transplant candidates with cirrhosis were studied.
• Patients were categorized into alcoholic, viral (hepatitis C/B), and primary biliary cirrhosis groups.
• Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (M-mode and Doppler) assessed cardiac structures and diastolic function.

Main Results:

• Left atrial enlargement was highly prevalent, particularly in women across all cirrhosis groups.
• Interventricular wall thickness was also frequently enlarged, with variations between sexes and cirrhosis types.
• Diastolic dysfunction was observed in a significant proportion of patients (45% in alcoholic, 32.3% in viral, 16.4% in primary biliary cirrhosis).

Conclusions:

• Cirrhosis is frequently associated with cardiac structural abnormalities and diastolic dysfunction in liver transplant candidates.
• Echocardiography is valuable for detecting these cardiac changes.
• While prevalence varied, no significant differences in cardiac chamber dimensions, left ventricular wall thickness, or diastolic dysfunction were found between the etiological groups.