Discussion
Diagnosis With Brief Discussion
- Diagnosis
- Left pulmonary artery sling
- Radiologic Findings
- Fig 1. The right lateral chest radiograph shows retrotracheal mass like opacity.
Fig 2. On the CT images, the left pulmonary artery originates from the right pulmonary artery(a), courses anterior to the right bronchial tree(b), and ascends posterior to the trachea and anterior to the esophagus before crossing to the left side to enter the left hilar region(c).
- Brief Review
- In this rare vascular developmental anomaly, the left pulmonary artery arises from the posterior aspect of the right pulmonary artery and passes between the trachea and esophagus to reach the left hilum. The left pulmonary artery thus forms a sling around the distal trachea and the proximal right main bronchus. Those affected by pulmonary artery sling may be classified generally into two groups: one with a normal bronchial pattern and the other with one or more malformations of the bronchotracheal tree (eg, stenosis of a long segment of the trachea or absence of the pars membranacea) as well as cardiovascular abnormalities. In the latter group, mortality and morbidity are high during infancy. The former group includes very few asymptomatic adults. In asymptomatic cases, a pulmonary artery sling may mimic a mediastinal mass on chest radiographs.
- References
- 1. Eva Castan et al. Congenital and Acquired Pulmonary Artery Anomalies in the Adult: Radiologic Overview. RadioGraphics 2006;26:349-371.
2. Siripornpitak S et al. Pulmonary artery sling: anatomical and functional evaluation by MRI. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1997;21:766-768.
3. Zylak CJ et al. Developmental lung anomalies in the adult: radiologic-pathologic correlation. RadioGraphics 2002;22(spec no):S25-S43.
- Keywords
- Vascular, Congenital,