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Congenital and Acquired Pulmonary Artery Anomalies in the Adult: Radiologic Overview¹

¹ From the Department of Radiology, SDI UDIAT-CD, Institut Universitari Parc Taulí–UAB, Corporació Parc Taulí, Parc Taulí s/n, Sabadell 08208, Barcelona, Spain (E.C., X.G., J.R., J.M.M., J.P., C.M., D.G.); and Department of Radiology, Hospital de la Ribera, Alzira, Spain (Y.P.). Recipient of a Certificate of Merit award for an education exhibit at the 2004 RSNA Annual Meeting. Received April 7, 2005; revision requested May 17; revision received and accepted July 11. All authors have no financial relationships to disclose. Address correspondence to E.C. (e-mail: ecastaner{at}cspt.es).

Various congenital and acquired anomalies may affect the pulmonary arteries in adult patients. Congenital anomalies (proximal interruption, anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery [pulmonary artery sling], and idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary trunk) are usually found incidentally at chest radiography or computed tomography (CT). Acquired anomalies include diffuse or focal enlargement of the arteries because of pulmonary hypertension, aneurysm, and intravascular pulmonary metastasis; decreased arterial diameter because of bronchial carcinoma, mediastinal fibrosis, and Takayasu arteritis; and intraluminal filling defects due to pulmonary thromboembolism and pulmonary artery sarcoma. An awareness of the radiologic manifestations of the disease entities and potential pulmonary artery complications secondary to infection or vasculitis may enable an early diagnosis. CT angiography is becoming the standard method for evaluating patients in whom the presence of pulmonary embolism is suspected. CT assessment of the extent of heart effects in patients with pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary embolism is particularly important because such effects largely determine the prognosis.

© RSNA, 2006

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