Consolidation in the Right Middle Lobe in Pediatric Bronchial-Pulmonary Artery Shunt: Radiology's Aunt Minnie?

PURPOSE:By retrospectively studying the chest computed tomography (CT) data of children with bronchial artery (BA)-pulmonary artery fistula, this study summarizes the characteristic imaging features of the disease and provides imaging support for the diagnosis and clinical treatment of these children. METHODS:Digital subtraction angiography and CT angiography data were collected from 74 children with pulmonary hemorrhage following BA embolization. Bronchial-pulmonary shunt was present in 30 cases. RESULTS:Of the 74 children with pulmonary hemorrhage in this study, seven exhibited signs of consolidation in the middle lobe of the right lung, and bronchial-pulmonary shunt existed in all of them. A total of 30 children with BA-pulmonary artery shunt (PAS) had BA tortuosity and thickening. Regarding primary BA-PAS, the middle lobe and lower lobe of the right lung were involved in 94.1% (16) of the children. Those with a fistula located in the middle lobe of the right lung accounted for 58.8% (10 cases), of which 40.0% (four cases) presented consolidation. In this study, 41.2% (seven) of the children with primary BA-PAS exhibited no abnormal changes on chest CT, and 58.8% (10 cases) exhibited abnormal changes in the unilateral lung. CONCLUSION:For children with pulmonary hemorrhage who have consolidation in the right middle lobe, the formation of BA-PAS should be anticipated. The possibility of primary BA-PAS should not be disregarded in children with pulmonary hemorrhage with tortuosity and dilation of BAs, despite no apparent abnormalities on lung CT, or ground-glass density or consolidation on only one side. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:The chest CT of patients with pulmonary hemorrhage showed consolidation of the right middle lobe of the lung, which was highly likely to indicate BA-PAS.