Abstract

Significant Pulmonary Vein Stenosis

posted by Martin Heuschmid, M.D. | Oct 13, 2008

History

Following successful RFCA a 51-year-old female was presented to CT for exclusion of pulmonary vein stenosis. The patient was clinically asymptomatic.

Question

Presence of post-interventional pulmonary vein stenosis or exclusion of further complications.

Diagnosis / Differential diagnosis

• Post-procedural 70% high grade stenosis of the proximal upper left pulmonary vein.
• No evidence of further post-procedural complications, including arterial thrombi.
• Separate ostium for the right middle lobe vein.

Findings

The epicardial volume renderings reveal separate ostia for upper, middle (arrow) and lower lobe veins on the right side. Axial and parasagittal MPRs reveal a high grade stenosis of the upper left pulmonary vein.

Comments

CT proves to be a reliable tool for detection of post-interventional complications such as stenosis of pulmonary veins.

case-significant-pulmonary-vein-stensosis-1.jpg
[1] Epicardial VR of the left atrium. The arrow hints at a variant
vein on the right side, notably an additional ostium for the
middle lobe vein (see arrow).
case-significant-pulmonary-vein-stensosis-2.jpg
[2] Axial MPR showing a high-grade stenosis of the upper left
pulmonary vein (arrow).
case-significant-pulmonary-vein-stensosis-3.jpg
[3] MPR angulated on the main axis of the upper left pulmonary vein (arrow).
case-significant-pulmonary-vein-stensosis-4.jpg
[4] Parasagittal MPR, orthogonal to the main axis of the vessel
(see arrow).

Authors: Brodoefel H, Heuschmid M, Kopp AF

See corresponding news: Using DSCT for visualizing pulmonary veins
See corresponding case: Minor pulmonary vein stenosis post RFCA
See corresponding protocol: Pulmonary veins

Comments
  • hasrul helmy | Sep 19, 2008

    It is interesting case where most of cases that we are ignore to look for pulmonary veins.
    But anyway, what the different or the advantages of use DSCT compare to MSCT?
    i do believe that nothing much except of faster scan time.

  • Martin Heuschmid, M.D. | Oct 13, 2008

    Regarding pulmonary veins without cardiac mode (retrospective ECG gating) DSCT system acquires the CT data with 64 slices and therefore there is no significant difference compared with a 64-slice MDCT.

Your Comment

All fields are required – your mail will not be published