title: Superior vena cava obstruction in fibrosing mediastinitis: demonstration of right-to-left shunt and venous collaterals.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kistler
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Yudt
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Camponovo
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin