Table 4—

Diagnostic criteria for portopulmonary hypertension

Liver disease (causing clinical portal hypertension)
Ppa >25 mmHg
mPAOP <15 mmHg
PVR# >240 dyn·s·cm−5 (3.0 mmHg·L−1·min−1; cut-off may vary)

  • Ppa: mean pulmonary arterial pressure

  • mPAOP: mean pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure

  • PVR: pulmonary vascular resistance

  • #: 80 (Ppa–mPAOP)/Q' (in L·min−1), where Q' is cardiac output

  • : classical textbook criteria for normal PVR vary up to 240 dyn·s·cm−5

  • several liver transplantation centres have previously used a cut-off of >120 dyn·s·cm−5 as abnormal, but some patients in the 120–240 dyn·s·cm−5 range exhibit normal Ppa or increased mPAOP

  • Evidence-based data favour >240 dyn·s·cm−5 as the definitive clinically significant cut-off for abnormal PVR in the setting of advanced liver disease (see Portopulmonary hypertension: Haemodynamics section)

  • 1 mmHg·L−1·min=80 dyn·s·cm−5