Pulsed Doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in COPD

We used pulsed Doppler echocardiography to examine the systolic ejection flow from the right ventricle in 66 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Adequate recordings were obtained in 60 patients, in conjunction with right heart catheterization. Patients without pulmonary artery hypertension at rest (mean pulmonary artery pressure less than 20 mm Hg) underwent an exercise test which identified a group with PAH during exercise (MPAP greater than 30 mm Hg). The patients were divided into four groups: group 1, or control group: 17 healthy nonsmokers without normal respiratory function data; group 2: COPD without PAH (n = 12); group 3: PAH during exercise (n = 26); group 4: PAH at rest (n = 22). Analysis of Doppler data included time to peak velocity, right ventricular pre-ejection period, and ejection period. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was a simple and reliable method of detecting PAH. Latent PAH, revealed by the exercise test, was accompanied by significant changes in Doppler findings, confirming the sensitivity of the method.     

Use of echocardiography in the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension

There are few data regarding the sensitivity and specificity of the pulmonic valve echogram in the detection of pulmonary hypertension (PHT). In the present study, simultaneous pulmonic echograms were evaluated in 40 patients with normal pulmonary artery pressure and 24 with PHT (mean pressure greater than 20 mmHg). The A wave depth (Amax) was 4.0 plus or minus 1 mm (2-6 mm) in normals but was (1.05 plus or minus 0.2 mm) (p less than 0,001) in PHT and was absent in 5 of 24 PHT patients with a mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) greater than or equal to 35 mm. The ef slope in normals was 22 plus or minus 1.8 mm and 7.1 plus or minus 2 mm (p less than 0.01) in patients with PHT. A negative slope was observed in 4 patients with severe PHT (MPAP) greater than or equal to 40 mm, but never in normals or in patients with mild PHT. The opening velocity (OV) was significantly higher in PHT patients 363.2 plus or minus 19.3 verus 293 plus or minus 7.3 mm/sec (p less than 0.01). Normal values were found in patients with moderate to severe PHT but an OV greater than or equal to 450 mm/sec was not encountered within the normal group. A mid-systolic notch was observed in 10 patients with PHT of which 9 with a MPAP greater than or equal to 35 mmHg. The maximum systolic excursion of the pulmonary valve in both groups did not differ significantly (13.3 plus or minus 0.5 vs 12.8 plus or minus 0.3). Even less specific, the systolic intervals (PEP/ET), were raised greater than or equal to 0.30 in 12 out of 15 with PHT. In conclusion, the reduction or disappearance of Amax with sinus rhythm, a flattening or negativation of ef slope and the presence of a mid-systolic notch were found to be the 3 most reliable criteria to detect and quantify PHT.     

Noninvasive prediction of pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by Doppler echocardiography

Thirty-six patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were studied by pulsed Doppler echocardiography. In 32 of the 36 patients, adequate Doppler signals were obtained in the pulmonary arterial trunk and correlated with right cardiac hemodynamics. The studied group included 26 patients with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) greater than 20 mm Hg at rest (group A, with pulmonary hypertension) and six patients with MPAP of 20 mm Hg or less (group B, without pulmonary hypertension). A control group (group C) consisted of 12 subjects with normal hemodynamic data and pulmonary function. Analysis of Doppler data included flow velocity curve pattern, presence of a negative presystolic velocity, right ventricular pre-ejection period (RVPEP) and ejection period (RVEP), time between onset and peak of pulmonary velocity (time to peak velocity, TPV) and derived ratios of TPV/RVPEP and TPV/RVEP. In patients with pulmonary hypertension, the Doppler flow velocity curve in the pulmonary trunk showed a rapid acceleration and an early deceleration. The mean value for TPV was 78 +/- 12 msec in group A, 115 +/- 11 msec in group B, and 127 +/- 10 msec in group C. In patients with COPD, significant correlations were observed between TPV and log10 MPAP (r = -0.77; SEE = 0.07) and between TPV and log10 total pulmonary resistances (r = -0.84; SEE = 0.05). Accordingly, pulsed Doppler echocardiography may be a useful tool to predict pulmonary hypertension due to chronic pulmonary disease.     

Experimental study on evaluation of pulmonary hypertension by Doppler echocardiography

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of pulmonary blood flow, pulmonary vascular resistance and myocardial contractivity on several Doppler predictors of pulmonary hypertension. Acute experimental study on 14 open-chest dogs was performed. Pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary blood flow volume and pulmonary Doppler flow velocity spectrum were recorded under different pathophysiologic states. The results showed that pulmonary hypertension could be predicted by Doppler echocardiography. Different regression equations ought to be adopted in assessing pulmonary hypertension of different pathophysiologic types.     

Predictive factors of Doppler echocardiography in persistent pulmonary artery hypertension of the neonate

INTRODUCTION: echocardiographic evaluation in neonates with persistent pulmonary artery hypertension is often limited to pressure measurements and analysis of pulmonary artery blood flow. The prognostic significance of a more detailed analysis, in particular of the extra-pulmonary shunt, is not known. PATIENTS AND METHOD: we analysed retrospectively the echocardiographs of neonates with persistent pulmonary artery hypertension who were also entered in a randomised therapeutic trial of treatment with inhaled nitric oxide. Our aim was to identify the predictive echographic factors for extra-corporeal circulatory assistance, death and a good response to nitric oxide. RESULTS: out of the 85 neonates studied, an extra-pulmonary right-left shunt across the foramen ovale or the ductus arteriosus was present in 80 patients (94%). Biventricular function was normal in the majority of patients while the cardiac index was reduced (< 2L/min/m2) in 61% of cases. With multivariate analysis, an exclusively right-left ductal shunt was a predictive factor for death (odds ratio 7.8; 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 52.8; p=0.04) while an exclusively left-right ductal shunt was at the limit of significance for circulatory assistance (odds ratio 0.13; 95% confidence interval 0.01 to 1.22; p=0.07). In the 40 patients randomised to receive nitric oxide, 28 responded positively with a reduction of at least 20% in the oxygenation index measured by post-ductal arterial gasometry. The existence of a left-right atrial shunt increased the risk of a poor response to nitric oxide (odds ratio 7.46; 95% confidence interval 1.23 to 45.1; p=0.028). CONCLUSION: precise echocardiographic evaluation of these patients allows identification of prognostic factors and adjustment of vasodilator treatment.     

Evaluation of pulmonary arterial hypertension by Doppler echocardiography in chronic respiratory insufficiency

The usefulness of doppler-echocardiography for the assessment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with chronic respiratory failure was evaluated in 24 consecutive patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. Seventeen of these 24 patients (71 p. 100) who had tricuspid valve regurgitation analysable by the continuous wave doppler technique were selected as study group; they included 15 men and 2 women aged from 33 to 78 years (mean 63 years). The highest maximum velocity value (method A) or the maximum velocity value averaged on several cycles (method B) of the tricuspid regurgitation jet was used to calculate the right ventriculo-atrial pressure gradient, using Bernouilli's equation. Right atrial pressure was determined by three methods: haemodynamic measurement, clinical evaluation or attribution of an arbitrary 10 mmHg value. The pulsed doppler study of the pulmonary ejection flow included measurement of the acceleration time and calculation of the acceleration time/ejection time ratio. The usual echocardiographic parameters were measured. Catheterization was performed 2.5 days on average after the doppler study. Correlations between doppler examination and catheterization to evaluate the right ventricular systolic pressure were significant (p less than 0.001) and better with method B than with method A. Depending on the method employed to evaluate the right atrial pressure, the correlation coefficients obtained with method B were: 0.93 (haemodynamic measurement), 0.91 (clinical evaluation) and 0.88 (arbitrary value of 10 mmHg). The right ventricular systolic pressure evaluated by doppler ultrasound using method B and by clinical evaluation of the right atrial pressure was 47 +/- 12 mmHg (22 to 70 mmHg), as against 51 +/- 13 mmHg (28 to 74 mmHg) measured by catheterization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Reliability of non-invasive estimates of pulmonary hypertension by pulsed Doppler echocardiography

The duration of the acceleration phase of pulmonary systolic flow was measured by pulsed Doppler echocardiography in 39 normal subjects and 67 patients with heart disease to evaluate the reliability of this Doppler index as an estimate of pulmonary arterial pressure. The mean (SD) Doppler index in patients with abnormal mean pulmonary arterial pressure (greater than 15 mm Hg) was significantly shorter than that in normal subjects (110 (30) ms vs 150 (10) ms). The Doppler index was significantly related to the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (r = -0.75) the pulmonary blood flow (r = 0.46), and the total pulmonary vascular resistance (r = -0.68). Forty four of 45 patients with an abnormal index (less than or equal to 120 ms) showed abnormal mean pressure (greater than 15 mm Hg). Without exception patients with a low index (less than or equal to 90 ms) had distinct pulmonary hypertension (greater than or equal to 25 mm Hg). Twelve of 22 patients with a normal index (greater than or equal to 130 ms), however, also showed abnormal pressures. Nine of the 12 had an atrial septal defect and they had high pulmonary arterial pressure associated with high blood flow. Eighteen patients with valvar heart disease, whose mean pulmonary arterial pressure ranged from 16 mm Hg to 24 mm Hg, had a significantly shorter acceleration phase and a higher total vascular resistance than 11 patients with atrial septal defect in whom the pressure range was similar (120(20) ms vs 140 (20) ms, 3.8 (1.1) hybrid resistance unit vs 1.6 (0.5)). Thus although the acceleration time of the pulmonary systolic flow is useful for the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension, it is a complex index that is affected not only by pulmonary arterial pressure but also by pulmonary blood flow and pathological changes in the pulmonary vascular bed.     

超声心动图诊断肺动脉高压157例分析

目的探讨超声心动图诊断肺动脉高压(PH)的临床价值。方法对157例确诊为PH患者给予超声心动图及CT、X线、肺动脉造影等检查,部分给予右心导管测量肺动脉收缩压(PASP),并与超声心动图测量肺动脉压值进行对比分析。结果本组157例患者中,经超声心动图确诊患者148例,确诊率94.3%。结合其他检查全部确诊。超声心动图误诊的9例中,6例为右肺动脉狭窄,3例为左肺动脉狭窄。肺动脉高压患者超声心动图检查主要表现为右心室肥厚增大,右心房扩大,肺动脉增宽,收缩期三尖瓣可见反流,反流频谱呈高速。30例患者右心导管测量PASP与超声心动图测量比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论超声心动图诊断PH具有准确率高、方便快捷、无创性、可重复性高等特点,且对病因的明确具有重要意义。     

多普勒超声心动图估价肺动脉高压对左心室功能的影响

目的：探讨肺动脉高压对左心室结构和功能的影响。方法：将58例患者分为肺动脉高压组（n=29）和无肺动脉高压的对照组（n=29）。肺动脉高压组依据肺动脉收缩压进一步分为3个亚组：A组9例,肺动脉收缩压≥40mm Hg（1mm Hg=0．133kPa）但≤70mm Hg;B组11例,肺动脉收缩压〉70mm Hg但〈100mm Hg;C组9例,肺动脉收缩压≥100mm Hg。采用多普勒超声心动图测量相关参数。结果：①与对照组相比,肺动脉高压组左心室舒张末期内径明显缩小、室间隔厚度显著增厚、舒张早期流速峰值（E峰）与舒张晚期流速峰值（A峰）比值和左心室射血分数下降（均P〈0．05）。②在肺动脉高压亚组中,各组间仅E峰值存在显著性差异,且随肺动脉收缩压升高,E峰值下降（r=-0．892,P〈0．01）。结论：肺动脉高压不仅引起左心室结构改变,且导致舒张充盈障碍．并随肺动脉收缩压升高而加重。     

Unexplained pulmonary hypertension is associated with systolic arterial hypertension in patients undergoing routine Doppler echocardiography

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity of the association between systemic hypertension (HTN) and unexplained pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) as identified with Doppler echocardiography. METHODS: All patients with a reported systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) on routine Doppler echocardiography from our 1997 echocardiographic database were identified. Exclusions included all diseases known to be associated with PHTN. Of 1,174 patients, 503 had PHTN (defined as a SPAP of >/= 40 mm Hg), of whom 42 (8.4%) had unexplained PHTN. These PHTN patients were matched for age (mean [+/- SD] age, 70 +/- 11 years) with 84 randomly selected patients from the same database who had normal SPAP values and no diseases associated with PHTN. RESULTS: The mean SPAP of those patients with unexplained PHTN was 48 +/- 9 mm Hg vs 31 +/- 5 mm Hg for those without unexplained PHTN. HTN was more prevalent in those with PHTN (98% vs 72%, respectively; p = 0.0008). Patients with unexplained PHTN had significantly higher mean systolic BP, as routinely measured at the end of the echo (154 +/- 26 vs 138 +/- 21 mm Hg, respectively; p = 0.0006), but they did not differ in diastolic BP (80 +/- 14 vs 78 +/- 11 mm Hg, respectively; p = 0.39). PHTN patients and control subjects did not differ with respect to gender (women, 74% vs 70%, respectively), race (white, 64% vs 65%, respectively), body mass index (30 +/- 8 vs 28 +/- 8 kg/m(2), respectively), or left ventricular ejection fraction (64 +/- 6% vs 63 +/- 7%, respectively). When only those with known HTN were considered, PHTN patients still had higher systolic arterial BP (155 +/- 25 vs 143 +/- 21 mm Hg, respectively; p = 0.013) and tended to be on more BP medications (1.6 +/- 1.1 vs 1.2 +/- 0.9, respectively; p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Unexplained PHTN occurs mostly in the elderly, is associated with systolic HTN, and those hypertensive patients with concomitant PHTN have higher systolic arterial pressures.     

Reliability of non-invasive estimates of pulmonary hypertension by pulsed Doppler echocardiography.

The duration of the acceleration phase of pulmonary systolic flow was measured by pulsed Doppler echocardiography in 39 normal subjects and 67 patients with heart disease to evaluate the reliability of this Doppler index as an estimate of pulmonary arterial pressure. The mean (SD) Doppler index in patients with abnormal mean pulmonary arterial pressure (greater than 15 mm Hg) was significantly shorter than that in normal subjects (110 (30) ms vs 150 (10) ms). The Doppler index was significantly related to the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (r = -0.75) the pulmonary blood flow (r = 0.46), and the total pulmonary vascular resistance (r = -0.68). Forty four of 45 patients with an abnormal index (less than or equal to 120 ms) showed abnormal mean pressure (greater than 15 mm Hg). Without exception patients with a low index (less than or equal to 90 ms) had distinct pulmonary hypertension (greater than or equal to 25 mm Hg). Twelve of 22 patients with a normal index (greater than or equal to 130 ms), however, also showed abnormal pressures. Nine of the 12 had an atrial septal defect and they had high pulmonary arterial pressure associated with high blood flow. Eighteen patients with valvar heart disease, whose mean pulmonary arterial pressure ranged from 16 mm Hg to 24 mm Hg, had a significantly shorter acceleration phase and a higher total vascular resistance than 11 patients with atrial septal defect in whom the pressure range was similar (120(20) ms vs 140 (20) ms, 3.8 (1.1) hybrid resistance unit vs 1.6 (0.5)). Thus although the acceleration time of the pulmonary systolic flow is useful for the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension, it is a complex index that is affected not only by pulmonary arterial pressure but also by pulmonary blood flow and pathological changes in the pulmonary vascular bed.     

Changes in blood flow of the pulmonary artery valve studied by Doppler echocardiography in patients with pulmonary hypertension

Blood flow in the vicinity of the pulmonary-arterial valve was examined in 20 normal subjects and 42 patients with pulmonary hypertension. Four major types were identified in the flow spectrum. Six flow classes were further identified on the basis of their combinations in the same patients. These classes were correlated with a number of hemodynamic parameters. They were shown to be related to systolic pulmonary-arterial blood pressure and total vascular resistance, but unrelated to diastolic and mean blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. There was no correlation with the cardiac cycle duration, ejection time, and cardiac output either, although the latter parameters differed significantly between normal subjects and patients with pulmonary hypertension. The classes identified permit a semiquantitative assessment of systolic blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and total peripheral resistance.     

Quantitative Doppler echocardiography diagnosis of congenital aortic and pulmonary artery stenoses

The aim of the present study was to check the value of cw-Doppler echocardiography for the assessment of severity of congenital aortic and pulmonary stenoses in children and adolescents. Over a period of 3 years 217 children and adolescents with aortic and 98 with pulmonary stenosis, resp., underwent echocardiography. In 21 patients with aortic and in 23 with pulmonary stenosis pressure gradients were determined by cw-Doppler as well as intracardiac pressure measurement. The comparison showed excellent accordance between both sorts of data for aortic stenoses (r = 0.939) and pulmonary stenosis (r = 0.969). These results show that Doppler echocardiography is a reliable diagnostic method for the determination of pressure gradients. Thus, it allows correct selection of children and adolescents with aortic stenosis for surgery. So far, 12 patients have been operated on without preoperative cardiac catheterization. Indication for balloon valvuloplasty in patients with valvular pulmonary stenosis can be based safely on 2 D- and Doppler echocardiography.