1. Diagnosis of secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia in congenital heart disease: a novel role for chest ultrasound and prognostic implications.
- Author
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Lam CZ, Bhamare TA, Gazzaz T, Manson D, Humpl T, and Seed M
- Subjects
- Female, Heart Defects, Congenital surgery, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Lung Diseases diagnostic imaging, Lung Diseases surgery, Lymphangiectasis diagnostic imaging, Lymphangiectasis surgery, Male, Prognosis, Prospective Studies, Sensitivity and Specificity, Heart Defects, Congenital complications, Lung Diseases congenital, Lymphangiectasis congenital, Pulmonary Veins abnormalities, Ultrasonography methods
- Abstract
Background: Secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia is a complication of congenital heart disease that results from chronic pulmonary venous obstruction., Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the performance of chest ultrasound (US) in diagnosing secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia and to review the clinical course of children with secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia., Materials and Methods: Chest US was performed on 26 children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection or cor triatriatum in a prospective observational study. Thirteen children had pulmonary venous obstruction (62% male; median age: 17 days old, range: 1-430 days old) and 13 children did not have obstruction (62% male; median age: 72 days old, range: 4-333 days old). US features of secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia were documented and diagnostic performance was determined. Clinical course of patients with secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia was reviewed., Results: Eleven of 13 (84.6%) patients in the obstructed group had a clinical and/or biopsy diagnosis of secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia. Statistically significant chest US criteria for diagnosis were presence of irregular lung surface (likelihood ratio [LR] 6.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-25.1), subpleural cystic appearing structures (LR 3.6, 95% CI 1.2-10.7), and combination of subpleural cystic appearing structures and surface irregularity together (LR 10.9, 95% CI 1.6-75.0). Seven of 11 (63.6%) patients with secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia died during follow-up, the majority due to cardiopulmonary failure or complications., Conclusion: Chest US is an accurate and reproducible bedside method for diagnosing secondary pulmonary lymphangiectasia in patients with pulmonary venous obstruction. These patients may have worse prognoses.
- Published
- 2017
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