The value of cardiac catheterization and cineangiography in infantile lobar emphysema.
Lobar emphysema is an uncommon cause of respiratory distress in infancy. Congenital heart disease is seen in about 20% of the patients with infantile (congenital) lobar emphysema. We described six infants with lobar emphysema. In three of them a congenital heart disease was demonstrated by cardiac catheterization and cineangiography; two had a tetralogy of Fallot with right aortic arch and the third infant a ventricular septal defect. The pulmonary angiography showed stretching of the arteries with very poor filling of the peripheral arteries and a characteristic smaller pulmonary vein in the affected lobe. In all the six patients the pulmonary artery pressure was normal. All the patients underwent lobectomy with good results. We feel that a preoperative cardiac catheterization and cineangiography is of value in this very sick group of infants.
D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002932:Cineangiography; D005260:Female; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000209:etiology; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging