New research has given us new hope

Windhover......I am not familiar w/ Hepatopulmonary hypertension....but would be more interested in information. My husband has Hep C/ cirrhosis and is currently on the transplant list. However, he has had several issues of shortness of breath, etc.....consulted several times w/ a pulmonary doc (that is a transplant doc) and he tell us there is nothing wrong!! My hubby has never had any issues w/ ascites as of yet, either, but there's this breathing thing. Now, his vocal cord is paralyzed and no one can seem to figure out why. He had a CT Scan of the chest done in NOvember, which some small millimeterr sized nodules showed up. Got a 2nd opinion from another pulmonary doc....that is NOT at the transplant hospital and he had hubby take 10 days of antibiotics to rule out any inflammation/infection and we will re-scan right after Christmas. I am wondering if this may be what's going on. Thank you for saying something about that....I was beginning to think I was crazy w/ this shortness of breath thing!

Mer

Mer,

   hepatopulmanary syndrome is  the  dilitation of pulmanary arteries in  the  cappulary  stage. 2 methods  can test for  it. An echocardiogram with contrast which will show right  to left blood  shunting.  And a nuculear medicine perfusion lung  scan with  Tc99 MAA....on the  lung  scan  increased activity  will show  in the  brain.......

   Tell your  pulmonologist  this    he  might  think  you know  whats going  on........If  he  does  have  yhis    he  gets  moved up..........15 to 20 percent of  ESLD pts  have this.........many  die  undiagnosed..........If the  pt doesent  have underlying  heart disease, or lung disease they prob  have  hps...........Its  worth  the  2 tests. There  are  specialized pulmanary function tests  also that  can be  done. but   the  2  I gave  ya  are  the  gold  standard  for  diagnoses

 

Glad  to  share  with  you.......just tell him  you think he  has  hps  an  pls  do  an echocardiogram with  contrast  and  a Tc99MAA perfusion  study........Alot  of  ppl  think  Drs  are  some  sort  of  wizards  that  know  everything.......Sometimes the  need  to pointed  in the right  direction,,,to  prescribe  an treat correctly.....I hope  Ive  helped  you ...I hope  others  will read  this an  pursue  this diagnoses  if  they  are  short of  breathe  with liver disease.........