Hepatopulmonary syndrome associated with schistosomal liver disease
M Al-Moamary, I Altraif
A
55-year-old man with schistosomal liver disease presented
with shortness of breath, orthodeoxia, platypnea, cyanosis,
marked digital clubbing and liver failure. Extensive
investigation revealed no other etiology for liver disease
apart from schistosomiases. The diagnosis of hepatopulmonary
syndrome was based on clinical grounds, as well as abnormal
arterial blood gases and positive contrast echocardiography.
The patient underwent orthotopic liver transplantation,
which was initially successful, but then died of respiratory
complications and multi-organ failure on day 42 post-transplant.
To the authors' knowledge this is the first report of
hepatopulmonary syndrome associated with schistosomal
liver disease.
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