Further observations on pulmonary venous varix

Abstract

Pulmonary venous varix is a well known radiographic entity. Case reports are presented to illustrate the following unusual aspects of this lesion. 1. Hypoplasia of a major pulmonary vein results in increased pulmonary blood flow through the remaining normal ipsilateral pulmonary vein. This may result in variceal enlargement of the normal vein. 2. A pulmonary venous varix may be visualized during angiocardiography but not in a routine chest radiograph. This is most common in children. 3. Elevated pulmonary venous pressure causes dilatation of the central pulmonary veins. Sudden formation of a pulmonary venous varix in a patient with mitral valvular disease may be evidence of a sudden elevation of left atrial pressure.