[Non-invasive diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension: Doppler versus echocardiography]

The authors examined a group of 50 patients incl. 28 (56%) with pulmonary hypertension (PH) at rest, mostly postcapillary. Using a Doppler device, they measured the acceleration time (ACT) in the outflow tract of the right ventricle and trunk of the pulmonary artery. Under conditions of concurrent Doppler and direct, catheterization measurements the authors found a close correlation between ACT and the mean pressure in the pulmonary artery (r = -0.88), which was, however, not confirmed after a 1-10 day interval (r = = -0.64). The authors conclude that Doppler ACT reflects only the actual pressure in the pulmonary circulation. The authors found a close correlation between ACT values in the right ventricular outflow tract and the pulmonary artery (r = 0.95), and no significant difference. Comparison of Doppler diagnosis of PH with former echocardiographic methods revealed unequivocally the priority of the Doppler method. Failure of echocardiography is most probably associated with the postcapillary type of PH in the group of patients and does not rule out the validity of original findings in precapillary PH. Rapid and easy assessment along with a simpler interpretation is in favour of the Doppler technique.