Title:Diagnostic Strategy for Suspected Unilateral Absence of the Pulmonary Artery
Volume: 20
Author(s): Van Luong Hoang, Viet Anh Lam and Thanh Nguyen Pham*
Affiliation:
- Department of Anatomy, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Haiphong, Vietnam
Keywords:
Unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery, Pulmonary artery, Unilateral absence, Chest X-ray, Computed tomography, Cardiac ultrasound.
Abstract:
Background:
Unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery (UAPA) is a very rare congenital anomaly.
Objective:
To analyze the diagnostic strategy applied to seven patients with UAPA who were examined and subsequently treated at the National Lung
Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Methods:
All seven patients, including three pediatric cases (1, 2, and 14 years old) and four adult cases (21, 26, 44, and 53 years old), had a history of
recurrent pneumonia, and the clinical symptoms on admission included cough, progressive dyspnea, chest pain, and fatigue. The patients were
initially examined clinically, followed by hematological testing, blood biochemistry testing, and chest X-ray radiology. The results suggested
UAPA, so echocardiography and contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) were performed as soon as practical.
Results:
The echocardiographic and CT imaging findings confirmed the suspected diagnosis of UAPA in all seven patients, which was accompanied by
congenital heart disease in three patients. Three of the seven patients had mild and medium pulmonary hypertension. All seven patients were
treated with drugs, which led to improvement in symptoms.
Conclusion:
Frontal chest X-ray provided the initial signs suggesting a diagnosis of UAPA. Subsequent echocardiography and contrast-enhanced chest CT were
effective diagnostic tools for fast and accurate confirmation of UAPA.
