ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the changes of pulmonary hemodynamic parameters in pneumoconiosis patients examined by echocardiography and its clinical significance. METHODS: Using simple random sampling method,102 male patients with pneumoconiosis were chosen and divided into simple pneumoconiosis group( 70 cases) and pneumoconiosis combined with chronic pulmonary heart disease( CPHD) group( 32 cases). Forty healthy male volunteers were chosen as the control group. The right heart morphological indexes including the diameters of main pulmonary artery( MPA),right ventricular outflow tract( RVOT),right ventricle( RV),the tricuspid regurgitation velocity and the time velocity integral of the right ventricular outflow tract were measured with echocardiography. The right atrial pressure was estimated and the pulmonary artery systolic pressure( PASP),the pulmonary vascular resistance( PVR) and the ratio of pulmonary artery acceleration time / right ventricular ejection time( PAAT / RVET) were calculated. RESULTS: The diameters of MPA,RVOT and RV in pneumoconiosis combined CPHD group were longer than those of the control group and simple pneumoconiosis group( P <0. 05). The RVOT diameter of simple pneumoconiosis group was longer than that of the control group( P < 0. 05). The indexes of PASP and PVR in pneumoconiosis combined CPHD group were higher than those of the control group and simple pneumoconiosis group,respectively( P < 0. 05). The indexes of PASP and PVR in simple pneumoconiosis group were higher than those of the control group( P < 0. 05). The indexes of PAAT / RVET in pneumoconiosis combined CPHD group and simple pneumoconiosis group were lower than that of the control group,respectively( P < 0. 05). There was no statistical significance difference found in MPA and RV diameters between simple pneumoconiosis group and the control group( P > 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that monitoring the pulmonary hemodynamic parameters of pneumoconiosis patients by using echocardiography can provide basis for planning early intervention measures in clinic.