Abstract
Unilateral isolated absence of pulmonary artery is a rare entity and often presents with recurrent bouts of hemoptysis and pulmonary inflammation. We have difficulties in managing these symptoms by internal treatments, where pneumonectomy can be employed.
A 62-year-old woman with a previous history of hemoptysis at the age of 10 was emergently admitted to our hospital because of recurrent bouts of hemoptysis in May 2014. Chest plain CT scan showed absence of the right pulmonary artery, hypoplastic right lung, blood aspiration image of the upper and middle lobes of the right lung. Bronchoscopy revealed bleeding from the upper lobe of the right lung. Cardiac ultrasonography revealed absence of intracardiac shunt. Contrast-enhanced chest CT scan revealed multiple collateral circulations from bilateral coronary arteries, and many branches of the developed bronchial arteries. In order to control air way bleeding as well as to decrease intraoperative blood loss, we performed transcatheter arterial embolization for a total of seven sites, including the accessory branches of the bilateral coronary arteries, internal thoracic, bronchial, intercostal, and subphrenic arteries, followed by right pneumonectomy.
