Misclassification of Pulmonary Hypertension in Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return

Clifford W. Chin, David P. Bichell
Vanderbilt University and Monroe Carell Junior Children’s Hospital
United States

Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Ann Thorac Surg 2022; 114: e447-e449
DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2022.02.021

Abstract
Partial anomalous pulmonary venous return is a rare congenital heart defect that can escape detection until adulthood and can be misdiagnosed as pulmonary hypertension and managed with vasodilators before the anomaly is identified. This report describes the cases of 3 patients with pulmonary hypertension whose hemodynamics and symptoms improved after repair of anomalous veins. Anomalous pulmonary veins are difficult to identify on a transthoracic echocardiogram, so a high index of suspicion and early use of additional imaging modalities are important to avoid a delayed diagnosis and progression to irreversible disease.

Category
Class I. Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Congenital Heart Disease
Diagnostic Testing for Pulmonary Vascular Disease. Non-invasive Testing

Age Focus: Pediatric Pulmonary Vascular Disease or Adult Pulmonary Vascular Disease

Fresh or Filed Publication: Filed (PHiled). Greater than 1-2 years since publication

Article Access
Free PDF File or Full Text Article Available Through PubMed or DOI: No

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