Audra Schwalk MD, Gilbert Berdine MD
Pulmonary artery (PA) aneurysms are uncommon and often diagnosed post-mortem. They are characterized by a PA/aorta diameter ratio greater than 2 on transthoracic echocardiography or a pulmonary artery diameter greater than 4 or 5 cm on computed tomography. The most common conditions associated with pulmonary artery aneurysm are congenital heart defects with left-to-right shunts and pulmonic valve abnormalities. There are also numerous causes of acquired pulmonary artery aneurysms, including infection, vasculitis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, trauma, neoplasm and pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of PA aneurysm are usually non-specific, and physical examination findings are variable depending on the underlying cause. Work-up includes various imaging modalities, transthoracic echocardiography, and right heart catheterization. The gold standard treatment is surgery, but in select patients, conservative management with close monitoring can be pursued.
Keywords: Pulmonic valve stenosis, pulmonary artery aneurysm, hilar mass
Article citation: Schwalk A, Berdine G. Pulmonary artery aneurysm secondary to congenital pulmonic valve stenosis. Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care chronicles 2017;5(21):32–35
From: Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
Submitted: 9/19/2017
Accepted: 10/11/2017
Reviewer: Cynthia Jumper MD
Conflicts of interest: none