The use of transient liver elastography in pulmonary hypertension
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the use of transient liver elastography as a non-invasive measure of right ventricular dysfunction in patients with pulmonary hypertension
IRAS ID
269536
Contact name
Colin Church
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Golden Jubilee Research Institute
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 21 days
Research summary
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a condition causing elevated pressure within the blood vessels which supply the lungs. In order to diagnose PH, it is necessary to find out the blood pressure inside the pulmonary arteries (the vessels which carry blood from the heart to the lungs).
At present, the best possible test to measure pulmonary artery pressures is "right heart catheterisation". This involves accessing a large vein (usually in the neck or groin) and feeding a length of tubing through this vein into the right side of the heart and then into the pulmonary artery, measuring pressure at various sites along the way. This test is generally very accurate but the disadvantage is that it is an invasive procedure and carries some risks (e.g. bleeding, infection, puncture of the lung).
Transient liver elastography (TLE) is a scanning technique which measures stiffness in the liver tissue. It involves pressing a small handheld probe (in this case a FibroScan device) onto the right side of the abdomen overlying the liver. The FibroScan machine calculates stiffness in the liver. This type of scanning is used widely in the care of people with a variety of liver diseases. Recent research has shown that it can also be used to indirectly estimate pressures in the right side of the heart.
The purpose of this research is to determine whether TLE could be a useful test to diagnose and monitor outcomes from pulmonary hypertension. If TLE was found to be a useful test, it may mean that some patients could avoid repeated right heart catheterisation and the risks and discomfort that come with it. The scanning device used is CE marked and is being used for its intended purpose (determining liver stiffness).
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
20/WS/0085
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jun 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion