Anomalous Unilateral Single Pulmonary Vein - a Rare Mimicker of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation

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TK Tsang, TL Kwan, WK Wong, HS Fung, AMW Wai

Hong Kong J Radiol 2007;10:16-8

Anomalous unilateral single pulmonary vein is a rare congenital anomaly that can masquerade as a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation on computed tomography scan. This report describes a woman with cough for whom an initial diagnosis of pulmonary arteriovenous malformation was made based on plain X-ray and computed tomography scan. Anomalous unilateral single pulmonary vein was diagnosed by selective pulmonary angiogram that aimed for embolisation of the arteriovenous malformation. Since anomalous unilateral single pulmonary vein can have a non-specific clinical appearance, an abnormal pathologic vascular shadow on a chest X-ray should raise the suspicion of a congenital pulmonary vascular abnormality and initiate further imaging if indicated.