Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations

doi:10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2012.083

Zafer Kartaloğlu

GATA Haydarpaşa Eğitim Hastanesi, Göğüs Hastalıkları Kliniği, İstanbul, Türkiye

DOI : 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2012.083

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are abnormal direct connections between the pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein which may result in a rightto- left shunt. Theses malformations mostly present with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia disease. Although pulmonary angiography is the gold standard, chest radiography, contrast enhanced computed tomography and contrast echocardiography are among other diagnostic tools. The initial treatment of choice is usually embolization of the afferent arteries to the PAVMs. Surgical resection of PAVMs is indicated for the patients in whom embolization fails and who develop serious bleeding complication despite embolization and have intrapleural rupture of the PAVM, or untreatable contrast agent allergy and lesions not amenable to embolization.

Keywords : Angiography; contrast echocardiography; embolization; pulmonary arteriovenous malformation; right-toleft shunt

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