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Sildenafil decreased pulmonary arterial pressure but may have exacerbated portal hypertension in a patient with cirrhosis and portopulmonary hypertension

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Abstract

Portopulmonary hypertension is a recognized but uncommon complication of cirrhosis. Liver transplantation may be contraindicated in patients with severe portopulmonary hypertension. In order to decrease the pulmonary arterial pressure, intravenous administration of epoprostenol has been shown to provide substantial beneficial results in these patients. Additionally, a recent case report demonstrated that long-term oral administration of sildenafil decreased pulmonary arterial pressure, but its effects on splanchnic hemodynamics were not measured. We report on a patient with cirrhosis and portopulmonary hypertension and the changes in the hemodynamic status after an oral administration of sildenafil. This case report clearly delineates that sildenafil decreases pulmonary arterial pressure but may exacerbate portal hypertension and hyperdynamic circulation in patients with cirrhosis and portopulmonary hypertension.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan

    Ying-Wen Wang, Han-Chieh Lin, Ying-Ying Yang, Ming-Chih Hou & Shou-Dong Lee

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  1. Ying-Wen Wang
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  2. Han-Chieh Lin
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  4. Ming-Chih Hou
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  5. Shou-Dong Lee
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Wang, YW., Lin, HC., Yang, YY. et al. Sildenafil decreased pulmonary arterial pressure but may have exacerbated portal hypertension in a patient with cirrhosis and portopulmonary hypertension. J Gastroenterol 41, 593–597 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-006-1809-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-006-1809-y

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