(Circulation. 2007;115:103-108.)
© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.
Contemporary Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine |
From the Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Diseases, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.
Correspondence to Dr Larry A. Latson, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Diseases, 9500 Euclid Ave, M41, Cleveland, OH 44195. E-mail latsonl{at}ccf.org
Key Words: veins, anomalous pulmonary heart diseases, congenital pulmonary heart disease catheter ablation pulmonary veins, surgery pulmonary veins, pathology
| Introduction |
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2 or 3 cases per year that require treatment. Pulmonary vein stenosis in the adult population is even more rare, and the small number of reported cases has often been associated with mediastinal processes such as neoplasms or fibrosing mediastinitis. However, with the advent of aggressive treatment strategies for atrial fibrillation, we have seen a new group of pulmonary vein stenosis patients. The stenosis appears as a complication of radiofrequency ablation procedures around the pulmonary veins. Small series of new surgical and interventional catheterization procedures for treatment of both the pediatric and adult forms of pulmonary vein stenosis suggest an improving prognosis in centers with specialized expertise. However, the prognosis of patients affected with pulmonary vein stenosis remains guarded and requires diligent follow-up and often repeated procedures. The purpose of this article is to review concepts of causation and possible treatments for this rare but serious condition as they evolve. | Embryology and Anatomy of the Pulmonary Veins |
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The sequence of connection of the out-pouching of the left atrium to the pulmonary venous plexus, followed by incorporation of the confluence of the common pulmonary venous system into the left atrium, results in the typical anatomic appearance of the normal heart. In most hearts, approximately half of the left atrium is comprised of the common pulmonary vein and the other half, which includes the left atrial appendage, forms from the primitive left atrium.2 In most hearts, the embryological confluence of structures leads to the formation of 2 right-sided and 2 left-sided pulmonary veins that enter the smooth portion of the posterior left atrium.
Failure of the out-pouching of the left atrium to connect with the pulmonary venous plexus may result in persistence of the connections of the pulmonary veins to portions of the systemic venous system,3 which leads to the various forms of partial or total anomalous pulmonary venous return. If the connection between the left atrium and the pulmonary veins fails to occur at a time in development after connections of the pulmonary venous system to the systemic venous system have become obliterated, the result is the very rare condition of complete pulmonary vein agenesis.
The syndrome of "primary" endoluminal pulmonary vein stenosis with no preceding surgery or catheter intervention has been postulated to result from abnormal incorporation of the common pulmonary vein into the left atrium in the later stages of cardiac development.3 Affected patients most often become symptomatic in the first few months to years of life, frequently have 1 or more additional cardiac anomalies, and have no active inflammation in or around the involved segments of vein. Estimates of the incidence of associated cardiac defects have ranged from 30% to 80%.46 The most commonly associated congenital heart defects are septal defects, but pulmonary vein stenosis has been seen in conjunction with all major types of congenital cardiac malformations. Stenosis of the pulmonary veins may appear as a relatively discrete shelf, as a longer segment of narrowing at the junction of the pulmonary vein to the left atrium that extends slightly into the pulmonary vein, or as diffuse hypoplasia of the pulmonary veins.4,7 Pulmonary vein stenosis in children and even adults with no apparent preceding or concomitant cause of stenosis has been termed "congenital". However, except in the small group of patients with diffusely hypoplastic pulmonary veins, we prefer the term "primary" pulmonary vein stenosis as the designation. The reason for this difference in terminology is that it is becoming more apparent that the disease is often progressive and may not even be evident at birth. Some feel that the rapidity of progression with no evidence of inflammation in many patients suggests a neoproliferative process. Sadr et al found apparently proliferative "myofibroblastic" cells in a small number of autopsy specimens.8 Staining and electron microscopic characteristics of these cells showed simultaneous features of myocytes and fibroblasts, which is consistent with a myofibroblast cell type. In other areas of the body, these types of cells retain the ability to differentiate into either myocytes or fibroblasts. It is unknown whether antiproliferation therapy such as radiation or chemotherapy might alter growth of these cells in patients with pulmonary vein stenosis. It is also not clear whether these types of cells may be particularly widespread in the pulmonary veins of some patients and involved with the apparently overly exuberant growth after a traumatic insult such as surgery or radiofrequency ablation.
| Clinical Picture of Pulmonary Vein Stenosis in Childhood |
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Approximately one half of patients with primary pulmonary vein stenosis have some type of associated cardiac defect. It is therefore imperative that echocardiographic evaluations of patients with all forms of congenital heart disease specifically include evaluation of the pulmonary veins. Recent studies have documented progression from normal pulmonary venous flow patterns in a significant number of patients who later developed progressive pulmonary vein stenosis.9 Evaluation for stenotic pulmonary veins is indicated in any young patient with severe pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary vein stenosis may also be secondary in pediatric patients and occurs most often after anomalous pulmonary vein surgery. Clinically significant stenosis occurs postoperatively in
10% of patients after repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous return in most series.10,11 The site of obstruction may be at the anastomotic site of the pulmonary venous confluence to the left atrium or may occur further into the central pulmonary veins. Cases of pulmonary vein stenosis after cardiovascular surgery for lesions not in proximity to the pulmonary veins have also been reported.12
| Pulmonary Vein Stenosis in Adults |
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| Diagnosis and Evaluation of Pulmonary Vein Stenosis |
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Magnetic resonance imaging has been demonstrated to be an extremely useful noninvasive diagnostic technique for evaluation of the pulmonary veins. Magnetic resonance imaging can provide tomographic and 3-dimensional views of the pulmonary veins. The technique does not require ionizing radiation and may show abnormalities of the flow patterns in the pulmonary veins and pulmonary arteries.25 In our experience, the primary limitations of magnetic resonance imaging relate to relatively long acquisition times, sensitivity to motion artifacts and arrhythmias, and somewhat limited spatial resolution. Sensitivity to artifacts from metallic objects in the chest and contraindications in patients with a pacemaker can also be a problem in a significant portion of patients.
We have found multidetector CT angiography to be an excellent technique for detailed analysis of the pulmonary veins in patients with known or suspected pulmonary vein stenosis (Figure 2). The primary concern with this technique, especially with small children, is the ionizing radiation should repeated studies be needed. Excellent images can be obtained rapidly and with good spatial resolution. We have found, however, that the resolution may still be inadequate to differentiate between completely occluded pulmonary veins and those with a tiny residual opening that may still be adequate for treatment by catheter techniques.26
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Angiography provides the most selective and detailed views of the pulmonary veins. A pulmonary arterial catheter can be manipulated selectively to arterial segments that drain to each of the pulmonary veins. In regions with severe pulmonary vein stenosis, there may be little or no prograde flow under normal conditions. Contrast dye may actually flow "backwards" into arteries that drain into less stenotic veins. For optimal visualization, we therefore occlude a small segmental pulmonary artery with a balloon wedge catheter and inject nonionic contrast media followed by saline flush under careful fluoroscopic visualization (Figure 3). With this technique, we have been able to demonstrate even very small openings in some patients with presumed complete occlusion by noninvasive imaging. Direct visualization of nonoccluded pulmonary veins can be performed by transseptal catheterization and manipulation of the catheter through the obstructed area. Small injections of nonionic contrast are generally well tolerated and provide the most detailed pictures of the involved area of stenosis (Figure 4).
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Asymmetrical pulmonary venous stenosis results in redistribution of flow between and throughout the 2 lungs. We have found that radionuclide quantitative pulmonary flow imaging provides the best evaluation of flow distribution (Figure 5). We strongly recommend this technique for any patients with pulmonary vein stenosis both before any type of intervention and as an excellent test for following patients over time.
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| Treatment and Prognosis of Pediatric Pulmonary Vein Stenosis |
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Repair of primary and secondary forms of pulmonary vein stenosis has been attempted with similar techniques and with similar outcomes. Pulmonary vein stenosis after repair of anomalous pulmonary venous return occurs in
10% of patients.10,11 This can be a particularly devastating complication in patients with associated single-ventricle physiology. Advances in the technique of surgical repair of pulmonary vein stenosis have been based on the concept of reducing trauma to the veins in hopes of reducing any stimulus for regrowth of obstructive tissue. A technique by which the pericardium around the pulmonary veins is attached to the left atrium avoids any stitches in the cut edges of the pulmonary veins and is now considered the best approach.2729 Limited experience suggests that this sutureless marsupialization may be superior to previous approaches that used direct anastomosis after resection of stenotic segments or patching of the stenotic veins. Overall, freedom from reoperation or death at 5 years, however, is still only
50%.28,29 Patients with milder degrees of stenosis and stenosis of only 1 or 2 pulmonary veins clearly have a better prognosis. Progressive pulmonary vein stenosis isolated to 1 lung may be survivable even though flow studies demonstrate little or no flow to the involved lung. Pneumonectomy may be necessary for hemoptysis. In a small number of patients with unrelenting progression and development of severe pulmonary hypertension, lung transplantation has been successful.30 Short-term results in patients who survived long enough to undergo bilateral sequential lung transplantations have been good, but the long-term prognosis is guarded at best.
Single-catheter interventions for treatment of pediatric pulmonary vein stenosis have also met with limited success.6,31 Immediate improvement is usually seen angiographically, but recurrent stenosis occurs in a large majority of patients. We have found that these lesions may be very resistant to low-pressure balloon dilations. In a small number of patients, high-pressure balloons have shown improved angiographic appearance, with complete elimination of the waist in a balloon that is 3 to 4 times the diameter of the stenosis. We and others have found that angioplasty with a cutting balloon is beneficial for resistant lesions.32 These types of catheter interventions can be complementary to surgery and can be repeated multiple times. Stents initially seemed very appealing for treatment of pulmonary vein stenosis, but restenosis has been nearly universal.33,34 Implantation of a stent before surgery may limit the options for a surgical approach. Implantation of stents in stenotic pulmonary veins in children can be very technically challenging. Unless stent placement is considered to be a strictly temporizing measure, it is not appropriate to place stents of a design that will not allow future expansion to adult dimensions (
12 mm). Catheter delivery of these types of stents may be difficult in small children. Intraoperative placement can be an alternative mode of delivery in some patients.35 Repeated dilations of stents to relatively large diameters (>8 mm) have resulted in some improvement in outcomes.33 The role of novel therapies such as sonotherapy remains unknown.36
| Treatment of Adult Acquired Pulmonary Vein Stenosis |
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| Summary |
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Pulmonary vein stenosis in adult patients is now most commonly associated with prior radiofrequency ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation. Balloon angioplasty and stenting are reasonably successful in treating these patients. Repeat procedures are commonly needed, but aggressive intervention to prevent complete occlusion has resulted in good long-term clinical results.
| Acknowledgments |
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None.
| References |
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