Superior vena cava obstruction in fibrosing mediastinitis: demonstration of right-to-left shunt and venous collaterals.
Multiple venous collateral pathways have been described in patients with superior vena cava obstruction. Systemic venous-to-pulmonary venous communication is the most unusual, having been described in a few cases of thoracic malignancy. In a patient with fibrosing mediastinitis radionuclide venography with 99Tcm-macroaggregated albumin demonstrated a systemic venous-pulmonary venous right-to-left shunt in addition to systemic and portal venous collaterals. It is apparent that systemic venous-to-pulmonary venous anastomoses may occur in the absence of malignant disease.
Kistler
A M
AM
Division of Nuclear Medicine, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.
Silverman
E D
ED
Sharpe
M B
MB
Yudt
W M
WM
Camponovo
E J
EJ
D000328:Adult; D003097:Collateral Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D014680:Veins
D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin