Right Heart Catheterization (RHC): A Comprehensive Review of Provocation Tests and Hepatic Hemodynamics in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension (PH)

Abstract

The classic definition of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of 20 mmHg. The gold standard for assessing pulmonary hemodynamics is right heart catheterization (RHC), which is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of PH. In some instances, RHC evaluates the degree of hemodynamic dysfunction and performs vasoreactivity tests. Measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient remains the gold standard diagnostic for identifying portal hypertension. This review aims to describe the procedure of RHC and the hemodynamic measurement in patients with PAH and Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH). The RHC remains the gold standard for diagnosing PAH and PoPH.

Keywords: Right cardiac catheterization (RHC); mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP); portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH); pulmonary hypertension (PH).