Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm Diagnosed by Dynamic Digital Chest Radiography

Abstract

Pulmonary artery aneurysms (PAAs) are rare but clinically important because their rupture can cause sudden death. This report describes a case of an asymptomatic patient with an unruptured PAA that was successfully diagnosed by dynamic digital chest radiography (DDCR) and was treated surgically. DDCR is an advanced, temporally resolved radiographic technique that offers high-quality fluoroscopy-like images at a low radiation dose. Although noncontrast chest computed tomography revealed only a nonspecific nodule, DDCR delineated this lesion as a pulsatile nodule synchronized with cardiac pulsations, thereby establishing the diagnosis of PAA. This diagnosis was confirmed by computed tomographic pulmonary angiography and surgery.