Breathlessness in liver disease: A case of hepatopulmonary syndrome
Ruth Porther1, Gavin Ross2, Subramaniam Nagasayi2
1Withybush General Hospital, Haverfordwest, UK ruthporther@hotmail.com.
Abstract:
Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is often not considered as a cause of breathlessness in patients with liver cirrhosis. It consists of a triad of liver disease, intrapulmonary shunting and hypoxaemia. Here we discuss HPS in a patient presenting with acute on chronic breathlessness and typical features of orthodeoxia and platypnoea. Evidence of intrapulmonary shunting on imaging was essential to making the diagnosis, which carries a poor prognosis and was an urgent indication for liver transplantation.
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