PROXIMAL INTERRUPTION OF A PULMONARY ARTERY

Abstract

Unilateral "absence" of a pulmonary artery is a misnomer, since careful anatomic dissections of the involved lungs reveal the presence of an intact pulmonary arterial tree with a blind stump in the hilus. This anomaly is amenable to surgical correction, and one attempt at surgical anastomosis has been made at the University of Minnesota Hospitals. This report emphasizes the frequency of pulmonary hypertension when the interruption occurs as an isolated lesion. The plain chest roentgenogram is the single most valuable diagnostic aid in the diagnosis of this lesion. There Is absence of the normal hilar vascular density, slight to moderate shift of the mediastinum to the affected side, and a fine reticular pattern of the pulmonary markings due to the presence of collateral circulation to the involved lung.