Contrast Echocardiography in the Diagnosis of Intrapulmonary Vascular Dilations in Patients Eligible for Liver Transplantation

PVD diagnosis was performed in 53.9% of the patients (41/ 76). Sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of the TTE in relation to the ETE was 75%, 100%, 100%, 80% e 87.5%, respectively. Echocar- diography was positive in 37 (55.2%) of 67 nonhypoxemic pa- tients, and in 4 (44.4%) hypoxemic ones. No cardiologic hemo- dynamic repercussions from intrapulmonar shunt were observed. Conclusion The contrast echocardiography is efficient, easy to be used, and safe in the search for and identification of intrapulmonary vascular alterations in patients eligible for hepatic transplantation