RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 When common things aren't so common: A case report of hepatopulmonary syndrome
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 226
OP 227
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2021-0142
VO 21
IS 3
A1 Emma Keelan
A1 Chris Ferguson
A1 Rebecca Kerr
YR 2021
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/21/3/226.abstract
AB A 60-year-old smoker with a history of liver cirrhosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary syndrome (COPD) presented with hypoxic respiratory failure. This was felt secondary to an exacerbation of COPD. Despite treatment, the patient required 10 L of oxygen to achieve saturations of 88% on ambulation. Interstitial lung disease, pulmonary emboli and pulmonary hypertension were excluded as potential aetiologies of hypoxia. Given the history of cirrhosis, hepatopulmonary syndrome was postulated. Contrast echocardiography suggested an extracardiac shunt; a technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin scan confirmed the diagnosis.