Non-invasive assessment of bleeding pulmonary artery aneurysms due to Behçet disease.

Abstract

Because of its ability to depict intravascular, intramural, and extramural pathology, non-invasive imaging is well suited to assessing life-threatening hemoptysis that may complicate Behçet disease. We made exclusive use of CT angiography supplemented by MR to identify pulmonary thromboembolism, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and bilateral pulmonary artery aneurysms with signs of previous unilateral rupture. Two-dimensional reformatted CT images provided surgeons with a road map of upstream and downstream vascular relationships prior to aneurysm resection. Imaging findings were confirmed by surgery and pathology. Non-invasive imaging proved to be a useful alternative to standard catheter arteriography in the preoperative assessment of hemoptysis in this patient with Behçet disease.