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Right lower lobe consolidation: an unusual complication of the modified Blalock-Taussig operation
Insights
A rare complication of the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt caused right main bronchus occlusion in a child. Bronchoscopic removal of the shunt resolved persistent pneumonia, highlighting the importance of this procedure for unresolved childhood pneumonia.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Pediatric Pulmonology
Background:
- A 5-year-old girl presented with persistent right lower lobe consolidation.
- She had a history of tricuspid atresia and pulmonary stenosis, treated with a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt in infancy.
Abstract:
Persistent right lower lobe consolidation in a 5-year-old girl is described. In infancy she had been diagnosed to have tricuspid atresia and pulmonary stenosis, and she had undergone a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt using a polytetrafluoroethylene tube graft at the age of 1 year. The shunt had parasitized and then occluded the right main bronchus. At bronchoscopy, the shunt was removed. The pneumonia resolved, and the child remains well 10 months later. This complication of the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, which does not appear to have been reported previously, demonstrates the need for bronchoscopy in unresolving pneumonia in childhood.