title: The Role of Pulmonary Veins in Cancer Progression from a Computed Tomography Viewpoint.
abstract: Background. We studied the role of pulmonary veins in cancer progression using computed tomography (CT) scans.Methods. We obtained data from 260 patients with pulmonary vein obstruction syndrome (PVOS). We used CT scans to investigate pulmonary lesions in relation to pulmonary veins. We divided the lesions into central and peripheral lesions by their anatomical location: in the lung parenchymal tissue or pulmonary vein; in the superior or inferior pulmonary vein; and by unilateral or bilateral presence in the lungs.Results. Of the 260 PVOS patients, 226 (87%) had central lesions, 231 (89%) had peripheral lesions, and 190 (75%) had mixed central and peripheral lesions. Among the 226 central lesions, 93% had lesions within the superior pulmonary vein, either bilaterally or unilaterally. Among the 231 peripheral lesions, 65% involved bilateral lungs, 70% involved lesions within the inferior pulmonary veins, and 23% had obvious metastatic extensions into the left atrium. All patients exhibited nodules within their pulmonary veins. The predeath status included respiratory failure (40%) and loss of consciousness (60%).Conclusion. CT scans play an important role in following tumor progression within pulmonary veins. Besides respiratory distress, PVOS cancer cells entering centrally can result in cardiac and cerebral events and loss of consciousness or can metastasize peripherally from the pulmonary veins to the lungs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chuang-Chi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6833-9121
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liaw
authors.affiliation: Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzu-Yao
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Teng
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention and Department of Internal Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Hsiang
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1046-5309
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Juan