Abstract
Introduction
Pulmonary artery aneurysms (PAAs) are rare and infrequently diagnosed clinical conditions. They can have congenital, acquired or idiopathic causes. PAAs can be asymptomatic or present with non-specific manifestations even at large diameters up to 70 mm. Rupture and dissection are the main life threating complications. The optimal treatment remains uncertain. There are no clear guidelines regarding the therapeutical approach.
Case presentation
A 78-year-old male presented at our medical facility to investigate further a pulmonary artery aneurysm discovered accidentally after a traumatic fall from a farmer tractor. He had no important chronic diseases, but in his medical history it was reported that he was excluded from the military service on top of a cardiac murmur, never investigated with an echocardiography exam. The fall from the tractor caused a fracture of the second and third costal ribs with hematoma and a commotional cranial trauma. At the thoraco-abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan conducted after the fall emerged an important fusiform dilatation of the principal pulmonary trunk and the left pulmonary artery (3.8 cm and 5 cm respectively). There was also a mild dilatation of the right pulmonary artery (3 cm), thickening of the pulmonary valve cusps and dilatation of the right cardiac chambers with flattening of the interventricular septum. Pulmonary embolism was excluded.
Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a dysplastic pulmonary valve, with thickened cusps and moderate stenosis with insufficiency. The jet of the right ventricular outflow tract was eccentric with an anterolateral direction and a correlated dilatation of the common pulmonary trunk (3.8 cm) and the left pulmonary artery (5 cm). The right ventricle appeared not dilated and the tricuspid regurgitation was mild with a normal systolic pulmonary artery pressure. The dilated pulmonary artery did not interfere with the flow in the left main coronary artery. We concluded that the pulmonary artery aneurysm was mainly due to the congenital pulmonary valvulopathy. The patient underwent successful pulmonary trunk, left pulmonary artery and pulmonary valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valved conduit.
Conclusion
Congenital pulmonary valvulopathy can remain clinically silent lifelong and is commonly discovered during exams performed due to other clinical circumstances. The eccentric jet caused by the valvulopathy can be the reason for dilatation of the pulmonary trunk and pulmonary arteries. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are competent tools for clarifying the cause of the pulmonary artery aneurysm and therefore are essential in the decision making regarding the treatment strategy.
Abstract P255 Figure. Transesophageal echocardiography images
Quadricuspid pulmonary valve and left pulmonary artery aneurysm in an asymptomatic patient assessed by cardiovascular MRI
