INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Ectopic activity originating inside the pulmonary veins has been associated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in some patients. However, the roles played by the pulmonary veins and the posterior wall of the left atrium in maintaining atrial fibrillation are not well understood. METHODS Our aim was to determine whether there is a correlation between the refractory...

Cardiogenic shock can occur due to compression of the four pulmonary veins and the left atrium by a mediastinal tumor. Steroid infusion can be a temporary alternative therapy before obtaining a definite diagnosis and performing an intervention with stents to dilate the pulmonary veins.

Pulmonary vein isolation has become the cornerstone of ablation for atrial fibrillation. However, it is sometimes followed by the development of left atrial macro-reentrant tachycardia. There is evidence to suggest that the myocardial sleeves within the pulmonary veins may be implicated in the mechanism of the tachycardia. Here we present a case of a post-ablation macro-reentrant tachycardia, i...

The drainage pattern and the structure of the pulmonary veins have been described quantitatively in a series of fetal and child lungs after injection of the veins with a radio-opaque medium. The drainage pattern of the pre-acinar region is complete by half-way through gestation and corresponds with the growth of the pulmonary arteries. There is new growth of veins within the acinus during child...

The thickness of the media of pulmonary veins and arteries was morphometrically assessed in 12 normal adults resident at altitudes over 3000 m and 12 resident at sea level. The pulmonary veins in the latter group were very thin walled. The average thickness of the pulmonary venous media in the group of highlanders was significantly thicker but this appeared to be due to prominent medial hypertr...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Sepsis-induced lung injury is characterized by pulmonary hypertension, edema and deteriorated gas exchange. As in vivo studies have indicated that bacterial endotoxin predominantly induces a pulmonary venous constriction, we aimed to investigate effects of endotoxin on isolated porcine pulmonary vessels. METHODS Pulmonary arteries and veins were examined using in vitro isometr...

BACKGROUND This study aims to present a novel method for using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to non-invasively quantify the variation in pulmonary blood volume throughout the cardiac cycle in humans. METHODS 10 healthy volunteers (7 males, 3 female, age range 21-32 years) were studied. The blood flow in the pulmonary artery and all pulmonary veins was quantified during free breathin...

A simple technique for reconstructing a short recipient left atrial cuff during lung transplantation is described. After opening the confluence of the pulmonary veins, the cut ends of the pulmonary veins are sutured together, posteriorly and anteriorly. This effectively lengthens the cuff allowing safe left atrial anastomosis. This technique has been applied in 3 patients with no technique-rela...

We describe the case of a 19-year-old woman with no significant medical history who developed progressive right-sided neck pain and palpitations one month following pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. Family was for unprovoked deep vein thrombosis (DVT) pulmonary embolism (PE) in her father at age 44. Systemic examination revealed mild swelling right upper extremity on palpation. Computed to...

Lobectomy with partial removal of the pulmonary artery in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) currently remains a challenge for thoracic surgeons. We were interested in introducing pulmonary vessel blocking techniques in open thoracic surgery into video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) procedures. In this study, we reported a surgical technique simultaneously blocking the pulmonary artery an...