title: Looking beyond the thrombus: essentials of pulmonary artery imaging on CT.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulmonary arteries are not just affected by thrombus. Congenital and acquired conditions can also involve the pulmonary arteries. An awareness of these conditions is important for the radiologist interpreting chest computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  The anatomy of the pulmonary arteries was reviewed. CT and magnetic resonance (MR) acquisition protocols for imaging the pulmonary arteries were discussed. The imaging appearances of congenital and acquired anomalies involving the pulmonary arteries, using CT and other modalities, were presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Imaging features of congenital anomalies presented include pulmonary agenesis, partial pulmonary artery agenesis, patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonary artery sling, congenital pulmonary artery stenosis and coronary to pulmonary artery fistula. Acquired pulmonary artery anomalies discussed include arteritis, infected aneurysm and sarcoma. Pulmonary artery filling defects besides thromboembolism are also discussed, including foreign body emboli. Imaging features of bronchogenic carcinoma and mediastinal fibrosis demonstrating compression of the pulmonary arteries are presented, followed by a brief discussion of post repair appearance of the pulmonary arteries for congenital heart disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Congenital and acquired pulmonary artery anomalies have a characteristic appearance on a variety of imaging modalities. An acquaintance with the imaging features of these anomalies is needed to avoid misinterpretation and reach the correct diagnosis. Teaching Points • Discuss a variety of congenital and acquired anomalies of the pulmonary arteries. • Discuss the imaging appearance of the presented congenital or acquired pulmonary artery anomalies. • Describe CT and MR acquisition protocols for imaging the pulmonary arteries. • Review the anatomy of the pulmonary arteries.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Imaging Section, Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA, mohammed_khadir@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Mohammed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Khadir
authors.forename: Apeksha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi
authors.forename: Mike S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wandtke
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hobbs
authors.forename: Abhishek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi