TY - JOUR T1 - A novel echo-score for evaluating the pre-test probability of pre-capillary versus post-capillary pulmonary hypertension JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - 2828 AU - Michele D'Alto AU - Emanuele Romeo AU - Paola Argiento AU - Anna Correra AU - Berardo Sarubbi AU - Maria Pignatiello AU - Antonietta Caronna AU - Nicola Grimaldi AU - Raffaele Calabrò AU - Maria Giovanna Russo Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/2828.abstract N2 - Aim: To provide an echo-score for evaluating the pre-test probability of pre-capillary (pre-PH) vs post-capillary (post-PH) pulmonary hypertension (PH).Methods: One hundred thirty-five consecutive patients underwent Doppler echocardiography (DE) within 1 hour of a clinically indicated right heart catheterization (RHC). The DE was scored on the basis of features suggesting pre-PH: right atrium (RA) > left atrium (LA), right ventricle (RV) > left ventricle (LV), apex forming RV, LV eccentricity index (EI) <0.9, pericardial effusion (PE), systolic notch at right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), dilated and fixed inferior cava vein (ICV) (yes = 1, no = 0), or post-PH: LV ejection fraction (EF) ≤40%, moderate/severe aortic and/or mitral disease (yes = -1, no = 0). Patients were divided in 3 groups: low score (-2 to 0), medium score (1 to 2) and high score (3 to 7).Results: Twelve/135 patients did not have PH at RHC; 84 showed pre-capillary (54 group 1) and 39 post-capillary PH (group 2). The probability of pre-PH was 37% in presence of low, 86% in presence of medium and 95% in presence of high echo-score. LV-EF ≤40% had 100% specificity for post-PH. The majority of echo features showed an high specificity but a low sensitivity for pre-PH.View this table:Echo features for pre-capillary PH.Conclusion: RHC remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of PH. Nevertheless, a novel easy and integrated echo-score provides a good pre-test probability of having a pre-capillary rather than post-capillary PH. ER -