[Bronchial artery-pulmonary vein fistula undergoing right upper lobectomy; report of a case]

We report a case of arteriovenous fistula of the bronchial artery. A 42-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow noted on a chest X-ray. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed abnormal blood vessels in the right upper lobe. Bronchoscopic examination showed a pulsatile tortuos lesion at the orifice of the right B3 bronchus. Bronchial angiography revealed a convoluted and dilated right bronchial artery and hypervascularization in the right upper lobe. On the basis of a clinical diagnosis of bronchial artery-pulmonary vein fistula, a right upper lobectomy and ligation of the right bronchial artery were successfully performed. Bronchial arteriovenous fistula is rare, and it is risk factor for severe hemoptysis. When the surrounding lung reveals a congestive and organized changes due to the arteriovenous fistula, resection of the affected lung is considered necessary.