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Further observations on pulmonary venous varix.
AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology
|September 1, 1976
Summary
Pulmonary venous varices, abnormal dilations of pulmonary veins, can enlarge due to blood flow changes from vein hypoplasia. These varices may be visible on angiocardiography but not standard chest X-rays, especially in children.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Radiology
- Pulmonary Medicine
Background:
- Pulmonary venous varix is a recognized radiographic finding.
- This abstract explores unusual presentations and diagnostic considerations of pulmonary venous varices.
Observation:
- Hypoplasia of a major pulmonary vein can lead to increased flow and variceal enlargement in the remaining ipsilateral vein.
- Pulmonary venous varices may be detected via angiocardiography but are often missed on routine chest radiographs, particularly in pediatric cases.
- Elevated pulmonary venous pressure can cause central pulmonary vein dilation.
Findings:
- Increased pulmonary blood flow through a normal vein, secondary to ipsilateral pulmonary vein hypoplasia, can cause variceal enlargement.
- Pulmonary venous varices are more frequently visualized with angiocardiography than with standard chest radiography, especially in children.
- Sudden onset of a pulmonary venous varix in patients with mitral valve disease may indicate acute elevation in left atrial pressure.
Implications:
- Understanding these variations is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management of pulmonary venous abnormalities.
- Angiocardiography may be necessary for diagnosing pulmonary venous varices not apparent on routine imaging.
- Pulmonary venous varix formation can serve as an indicator of acute hemodynamic changes, such as elevated left atrial pressure in valvular heart disease.