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Morphologic and Functional Changes in Right-Sided Cardiac Chambers in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease and Normal

Nuran Günay1, Şükran Erdem1, Tolga Sinan Güvenç2

  • 1Departments of Cardiology, Ümraniye Research and Tranining Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine : Official Journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
|December 22, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Chronic liver disease (CLD) increases right ventricular free wall thickness, even with normal pulmonary pressure, indicating cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. However, RV function remains unaffected in the absence of pulmonary hypertension.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hepatology
  • Echocardiography

Background:

  • Chronic liver disease (CLD) can lead to cardiovascular complications.
  • Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is a known complication, but its effects on right-sided heart chambers in the absence of pulmonary hypertension require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the structural and functional impact of CLD on right-sided heart chambers (right ventricle and right atrium) in patients without pulmonary hypertension.
  • To correlate echocardiographic findings with disease severity.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular (RV) and right atrial (RA) dimensions, systolic/diastolic function, and myocardial strain in 51 CLD patients and 25 controls.
  • Classification of CLD patients using Model of End-Stage Liver Disease and Child-Pugh scores.

Main Results:

  • CLD patients exhibited significantly increased RV free wall thickness compared to controls (P < .001).
  • No significant differences were observed in RV/RA dimensions, conventional RV systolic/diastolic function indices, or strain imaging between groups.
  • RV end-diastolic diameter and RA area correlated with RV free wall thickness in CLD patients.

Conclusions:

  • CLD is associated with increased RV free wall thickness, suggesting cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, even with normal pulmonary artery pressure.
  • Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy does not impair RV systolic or diastolic function in the absence of pulmonary hypertension.
Abstract

Keywords:
beta blockercardiomyopathychronic liver diseaseechocardiography (adult)gastroenterologyright ventriclestrain imaging

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