The rare case of pulmonary artery–right inferior pulmonary vein shunt

A 47-year-old woman was admitted to hospital for the diagnostic evaluation of round opacity presented on the chest radiogram (Fig. 1, upper part). She complained only of mild weakness. Chest angio-CT scan revealed a fistula originated from the pulmonary artery and drained into the right inferior pulmonary vein (Fig. 1). During heart catheterisation a small flow through the fistula was confirmed without evidence of oxygen saturation differences (Fig. 2). The echocardiographic examination proved to show the correct dimensions of heart cavities. The patient was treated pharmacologically with diuretics. Sixteen months after hospitalisation the patient was doing well and had no cardiac symptoms. European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery 25 (2004) 282 www.elsevier.com/locate/ejcts