Incidental finding of pulmonary artery aneurysm revealing a congenital heart defect

• Published in: BMJ case reports 2019-06, Vol.12 (6), p.e230477
• Main Authors: Dougherty, Kelly Alice Drivdahl, Elkaissi, Mahmoud, Sabbour, Hani, Farha, Samar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aneurysm - complications; Aneurysm - diagnostic imaging; Aneurysm - pathology; Aneurysms; Blood clots; Cardiovascular disease; Case reports; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Congenital diseases; Defects; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent - complications; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent - diagnosis; Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension - complications; Family medical history; Heart; Humans; Images In; Incidental Findings; Medical imaging; Middle Aged; Pulmonary arteries; Pulmonary Artery - diagnostic imaging; Pulmonary Artery - pathology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - complications; Pulmonary hypertension; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 1757-790X; 1757-790X
• DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2019-230477

Correspondence to Kelly Alice Drivdahl Dougherty, [e-mail] Description A middle-aged former smoker with a medical history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) was transferred to our facility for management of a pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) found on CT scan of the chest. On admission to our centre, the patient’s blood pressure was 156/83 mm Hg, heart rate was 105 beats/min and oxygen saturation was 95% on 3 L/min oxygen by nasal cannula. CT scan of the chest revealed a right PAA 54.1 mm in anteroposterior diameter compressing the pulmonary vein and right bronchus, a right upper lobe consolidation and a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) measuring 18.4 mm (figures 1 and 2).