The hepato-pulmonary-cutaneous syndrome: description of a case and suggestion of a unifying hypothesis

Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2010 Aug 2;4(2):273-8. doi: 10.1159/000319502.

Abstract

We report a 54-year-old patient with the association of hepatic dysfunction with cyanosis, severe hypoxemia, platypnea-orthodeoxia, diffuse cutaneous spider nevi, telangiectasia, palmar erythema, digital clubbing and findings of marked intrapulmonary vascular dilation and arterovenous shunt. The diagnosis of hepato-pulmonary-cutaneous syndrome, a term we think more appropriate and inclusive than that of hepato-pulmonary syndrome for this clinicopathological picture, is proposed. The putative underlying mechanism for these connected pulmonary and extrapulmonary syndromic features is discussed.

Keywords: Arterovenous shunt; Cutaneous spider nevi; Digital clubbing; Hypoxemia; Intrapulmonary vascular dilation; Palmar erythema; Platypnea-orthodeoxia; Telangiectasia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports