Pulmonary artery diameter and distensibility are correlated to pulmonary pressure and flow in schistosomal corpulmonale

ABSTRACT

Pulmonary artery diameter [PAD] was reported to be correlated with P. hypertension [PH] in some disease states, but the relations of wall motion distensibility to P. pressure [PPr] and flow [PF] in schistosomal corpulmonale [SchC] were not studied before. 10 patients with SchC, 10 patients with mitral stenosis [MS] and clinically detectable pH, as well as 10 normal controls were studied by Doppler echo. The following data were assessed PAD in systole and diastole, distensibility = cross sectional area in systole-cross sectional area in diastole [CSAD] / CSAd x 100, mitral valve area [MVA], peak mitral gradient [MG], mean PPr calculated from acceleration time [ACT] and ejection time [ET]- 87 - 152 x [ACT/EY]. In 4 patients, PPr was measured also by catheterization, there was good agreement between PPr as measured by catheter and by this Doppler equation. Results indicated that PAD > 28 mm was present in 7 patients in group I, and in 2 patients in group II. Distensibility in group I was 41, in group II was 27. In SchC Distensibility versus PPr r= 0.7, P <0.02, PPr versus Pulm. flow r= 0.76, P <0.01. In MS MVA 2D versus PPr r= 0.7, P <0.01. It was concluded that in SchC pulmonary distensibility, flow and pressure were correlated together. The increase distensibility and flow may be due to the shunts reported before in SchC