Evaluation of FVC/DLCO ratio as a predictor for pulmonary hypertension in patients with interstitial lung diseases

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common disorder among patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). The symptoms are usually nonspecific and overlooked among those patients. Thus, using a noninvasive screening modality is recommended for early detection of PH, which has a significant impact on treatment strategy and clinical outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate the ability of forced vital capacity (FVC %)/ diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO %), ratio in prediction of pulmonary hypertension among patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Patients & Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 95 patients diagnosed as ILDs; the following data were collected full clinical assessment, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan, transthoracic echocardiography, spirometric study, and DLCO. Results: Totally, 95 patients were enrolled in this study, (52.63%) of patients were males and (47.37%) were females with mean age group 41.08±12.19 years old. On comparing patients with PH and those without, there was a significant reduction in the mean values of FVC% and DLCO% in patients with PH (P Conclusion: FVC%/ DLCO% ratio is a useful noninvasive predictor for the development of PH in patients with ILDs. Keywords: Interstitial lung disease;spirometry; Pulmonary hypertension