Korean J Radiol.  2011 Dec;12(6):754-756. 10.3348/kjr.2011.12.6.754.

Evaluating a Thrombosed Azygous Vein Aneurysm Combined with Pulmonary Arterial Thromboembolism by ECG-Gated Multidetector CT: a Case Report

• Yang JY
• Kim DH
• Lee JH
• Suk EH

• KMID: 1101932
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2011.12.6.754

Abstract

Azygous vein aneurysm is a rare congenital lesion that needs to be differentiated from mediastinal mass lesions. Although almost of these anomalies are asymptomatic lesions, we experienced an interesting case in which a thrombus within an azygous vein aneurysm in a 75-year-old woman caused pulmonary thromboembolism. The patient was managed by medical treatment for one month and then the thrombus within both the azygous vein aneurysm and the pulmonary arteries completely resolved.

Keyword

CT (computed tomography); Azygous vein; Aneurysm; Thromboembolic disease; Pulmonary embolism

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aneurysm/complications/*radiography
*Azygos Vein
*Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques
Female
Humans
*Multidetector Computed Tomography
Pulmonary Embolism/etiology/*radiography
Thrombosis/complications/*radiography

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 75-year-old woman with azygous vein aneurysm and pulmonary thromboembolism. A. Chest plain radiograph shows well defined right paratracheal mass opacity (arrow). B. Oblique sagittal image of volume rendering reconstruction showed aneurysmal dilatation of azygous vein with thrombus (white arrow). Black arrow indicates inferior vena cava. C. Tilted coronal maximal intensity projection image of thorax shows thrombus within segmental branch of left lower pulmonary artery (small arrows) and azygous vein aneurysm (large arrow). D. Multiplanar reformatted short axis images at end-systolic phase (left image) and end-diastolic phase (right image) demonstrate normal shapes of both ventricles. Right ventricle/left ventricle diameter ratios are 0.81 at end-systolic phase and 0.75 at end-diastolic phase, respectively. E. Follow-up maximal intensity projection image after anticoagulation treatment for one month shows resolved thrombus within segmental branch of left lower pulmonary artery as compared with that of C. There is subsegmental atelectasis in left lower lung field.

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