THE EFFECTS OF VIRAL CIRRHOSIS ON CARDIAC VENTRICULAR FUNCTION

Liver cirrhosis is a severe disease with complications and viruses take the first place in the etiology of cirrhosis. In this study, the effects of liver cirrhosis due to viral hepatitis cardiac ventricular functions were analyzed. Thirty patients (mean age 43.6±12, 20 male) with liver cirrhosis underwent echocardiographic studies and were compared with 30 healthy controls (mean age 37.3±2, 22 male). Right and left atrium and right ventricle dimensions, interventricular septum, right ventricle free wall thickness, pulmonary artery diameter and assumed mean pulmonary artery pressure measured with 2-dimensional echocardiography were significantly increased in the patient group. In Doppler echocardiographic studies, right ventricle diastolic functions were significantly impaired in the patient group. There were no significant differences in left ventricle systolic and diastolic functions between the groups. In conclusion, liver cirrhosis causes dilatation in right heart spaces and diastolic dysfunction.