An angiographic dilemma: bronchopulmonary sequestration versus pseudosequestration: case reports

Bronchopulmonary sequestration is a congenital anomaly in which part of the pulmonary tissue is detached from the normal lung and is supplied by anomalous systemic arteries. The sequestered, aberrant lung tissue does not have normal connections with the tracheobronchial tree or pulmonary arteries. In some patients with angiographic characteristics of this disorder, no sequestration is found at the time of surgery. We present three cases in which systemic arterialization of a portion of lung occurred without actual sequestration. Such cases of pseudosequestration can present a diagnostic challenge preoperatively and should be considered whenever angiographic findings compatible with bronchopulmonary sequestration are found.