title: Pulmonary capillary haemangiomatosis-like lesions in severely congested lungs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the nature of capillary alterations in the severe form of pulmonary venous congestion (SPVC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Post-mortem lungs from 52 patients with left-sided cardiac failure were examined, including 31 cases of valvular heart disease and 21 cases of cardiomyopathy. Six post-mortem lungs (six of 52, 11.5%) had patchy lesions composed of markedly widened alveolar walls containing numerous dilated capillaries. These features strikingly mimicked pulmonary capillary haemangiomatosis (PCH). Moreover, one (one of 52, 1.9%) lung showed numerous fibrous micronodules containing capillaries with or without ossification, associated with prominent capillary sprouts, suggesting capillary varicose changes. No pathological features suggesting plexiform angiopathy or veno-occlusive disease were found. Ultrastructural examination revealed occasional interposition of swollen endothelial cells in the thickened basement membranes of the pulmonary capillaries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCH-like lesions can occur infrequently as an incidental finding in SPVC, rarely accompanying ossifying fibrocapillary micronodules. These lesions are considered to be a secondary form of PCH, representing severely tortuous and proliferative capillary changes rather than neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Japan Self Defense Forces Central Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. skuma@cocoa.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsukuma
authors.forename: Kimiya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged