Acquired unilateral pulmonary vein atresia in a 3-year-old boy

Pulmonary vein perforation into the respiratory tract with systemic air embolism: a rare complication of left atrial appendage closure

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary vein perforation is an uncommon complication during cardiac intervention. We present a rare case of pulmonary vein perforation into the respiratory tract with systemic air embolism during left atrial appendage closure (LAAC).

CASE PRESENTATION

A 77-year-old man with persistent nonvalvular atrial fibrillation was referred for percutaneous LAAC under local anaesthesia (CHA2DS2-VASc score of 4, HAS-BLED score of 3, and prior ischaemic stroke). During the procedure, after delivering a super-stiff guidewire into the left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV), the patient suddenly developed a severe cough with haemoptysis upon advancement of a delivery sheath along the guidewire. Fluoroscopy showed signs of blood entering the left main bronchus, and fast transthoracic echocardiography revealed bubbles in the left heart without pericardial effusion. The procedure was terminated because of a major complication indicated by the repeated haemoptysis and headache, and haemostatic drugs were immediately administered. Subsequent chest computed tomography angiography (CTA) revealed a filling defect in the LSPV branches and bubbles in the aorta. The patient was transferred to the critical care unit for haemostasis and antibacterial treatment. Transthoracic echocardiography later that day showed no bubbles in the heart. The headache and haemoptysis significantly abated the following day. The bubbles in the aorta disappeared on chest CTA 7 days later.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventional cardiologists should pay attention to anatomical variations of the pulmonary vein, which are associated with a high risk of complications of pulmonary vein perforation during LAAC. Preoperative CTA examination and intraoperative transoesophageal echocardiography might be helpful to avoid this complication.

Isolated unilateral pulmonary vein atresia with hemoptysis in a child: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE

Hemoptysis is an uncommon chief complaint but a distressing symptom in pediatric patients. Due to the recurrence and mortality in minor patients, an accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause is quite essential for treatment. The etiologies causing hemoptysis in children are similar to that in adults. Isolated unilateral pulmonary vein atresia (PVA), as an unusual cardiovascular anomaly, has rarely been reported to be an etiology of hemoptysis in children.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 2-year and 11-month-old boy was admitted into our hospital with a complaint of recurrent hemoptysis for 2 months and the symptom became more aggravated in recent 4 days before admission. Physical examination was only remarkable for slightly diminished breath sounds over the left lung field, pale face, and colorless lip. Series of targeted laboratory evaluation were negative expect for anemia. Due to the identification of asymmetrical transparency of bilateral lung, slight emphysema of right lung, less volume of left lung with ground-glass opacity and reticular opacity, and ipsilateral mediastinal shift on chest CT, and varices of submucosal vessels in the left bronchial tree on the fiber-optic bronchoscope.

DIAGNOSES

It more likely indicated a congenital cardiovascular disease. The diagnosis of left isolated unilateral PVA was ultimately confirmed through chest CT angiography (CTA) with three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction.

INTERVENTIONS

Since the boy did not complain with hemoptysis after admission, respiratory tract infections seldom occurred and no pulmonary hypertension was detected, a conservative approach was chosen with periodic clinical follow-up after discussing with the cardiac surgeons and in accordance to his parents' own wishes.

OUTCOMES

Fortunately, he was doing well after 3 months of clinical observation.

LESSONS

We firstly reported a rare case of hemoptysis in children secondary to isolated unilateral PVA with no associated congenital heart disease in Chinese population. It is significant to improve the recognition and prompt diagnosis of this rare condition for pediatric clinicians, and widen the etiology spectrum of hemoptysis in children. The diagnosis of unilateral PVA should be considered for a patient with recurrent hemoptysis and imaging findings that indicate hypoplastic lung, ipsilateral mediastinal shift, and smooth margins of left atrium without evidence of rudimentary pulmonary veins.