Surgical Treatment of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are rare anomalies. The degree of right-to-left shunting, which can lead to cyanosis and paradoxical embolism causing neurological complications, determines the prognosis. We report two cases of PAVM and review the literature. A 45-year-old woman with clinical signs and symptoms of PAVM was examined using several different scanning techniques, which showed a large PAVM in the lower lobe of her right lung. A lobectomy was performed, which revealed a 5 cm diameter PAVM with one feeding artery and multiple veins. Intravenous angiography of a 7-year-old girl with symptoms of fatigue and acro-cyanosis confirmed the presence of a large PAVM in her right lower lobe. The PAVM had two major arteries arising from the aorta, which were ligated during a lobectomy. Both patients recovered well following surgery. Although PAVMs are rare, their neurological and haemodynamic consequences may be fatal. Interventional treatment techniques, including surgery, are usually curative.

Monitoring of Pancreatic Graft Perfusion by First Passage Radionuclide Angiography

The perfusion of two pancreatic transplants were examined three times a week for the first five postoperative weeks by intravenous angiography using 99Tcm-pertechnetate. Worsening of the perfusion always preceded or was associated with deterioration of the pancreatic function. Accordingly, radionuclide angiography may have an important place in the systematic monitoring of pancreatic transplants in the critical postoperative period.