title: Abnormalities of the pulmonary veins: evaluation with MR imaging and comparison with cardiac angiography and echocardiography.
abstract: Seventy-seven patients underwent T1-weighted spin-echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Group 1 (n = 56) consisted of patients with various types of congenital heart disease but normal pulmonary veins. Group 2 (n = 22) consisted of patients with the following conditions: partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (n = 11), total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (n = 5), cor triatriatum (n = 4), or pulmonary vein stenosis (n = 2). In group 1, the sites of connections of all four pulmonary veins were identified with MR imaging in 88% of cases; the connections of at least three pulmonary veins were seen in all patients. In group 2, the prospective detection rate of pulmonary venous abnormalities with MR imaging was 95%. The prospective detection rates of pulmonary venous abnormalities with cardiac angiography (n = 13) and echo-cardiography (n = 13) were 69% and 38%, respectively. This study indicates that MR imaging can accurately demonstrate the normal pulmonary veins and abnormalities of the pulmonary veins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masui
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Seelos
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kersting-Sommerhoff
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Higgins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies