ABSTRACT
Pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas (PAVFs) are rare vascular malformations (PAVMs) of the lung that could lead to severe hypoxiemia due to right-to-left intrapulmonary shunts. They may occur as isolated entities or associated with Osler-Rendu-Weber syndrome or hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). We report a case of a 70 years old woman with Rendu-Osler-Weber disease and a large arteriovenous malformation involving the left pulmonary artery. We describe the successful transcatheter occlusion of the PAVF using an Amplatzer vascular plug. This work is an attempt to focus the attention on pulmonary arteriovenous malformations and on percutaneous treatment as an alternative to surgery, that consists of a conservative lung resection.
Subject(s)
Arteriovenous Malformations/therapy , Embolization, Therapeutic/instrumentation , Pulmonary Artery/abnormalities , Pulmonary Veins/abnormalities , Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic/complications , Aged , Female , HumansABSTRACT
Sarcoidosis is an idiopathic systemic inflammatory granulomatous disorder comprised of epithelioid and multinucleated giant cells with little necrosis. It usually invades the lungs with fibrosis and may also involve lymph nodes, skin, liver, spleen, eyes, phalangeal bones, and parotid glands. Breast involvement is extremely rare, but, when present, it could be confused with a benign or, more important, a malignant neoplasm. We have reported a case of sarcoidosis of the breast in a 51 years old woman with systemic manifestations of sarcoidosis (arthralgias and uveitis) associated with a breast mass and with a clinical history of fibrocystic mastopathy. A chest X-ray and a Computed Tomography (CT), with raised serum levels of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE), were compatible with a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. The mammography and ultrasonogram showed a solitary little nodular lesion localized in the breast. A breast cancer in a patient with sarcoidosis? To answer this question, the patient performed breast surgery under general anaesthesia and bioptic microscopic examination showed a typical sarcoid granuloma.
Subject(s)
Breast Diseases/diagnosis , Sarcoidosis/diagnosis , Biopsy , Breast Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Breast Diseases/therapy , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Mammography , Middle Aged , Sarcoidosis/diagnostic imaging , Sarcoidosis/therapy , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Ultrasonography, MammaryABSTRACT
A clinical case of a pulmonary involvement in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex is reported. This rare involvement (1%) is characterized by either interstitial disease or bullae; therefore, pneumothorax is likely to happen in lung parenchyma. Furthermore this complication induces a progressive serious respiratory failure until the death of the patient.
