Nonsurgical extracardiac vascular shunts in the thorax: clinical and imaging characteristics

Radiographics. 2010 Sep;30(5):e41. doi: 10.1148/rg.e41. Epub 2010 Jul 9.

Abstract

Extracardiac nonsurgical vascular shunts in the thorax are a group of well-recognized heterogeneous conditions, frequently symptomatic, in which there is diversion of blood flow from one vessel to another or from a vessel to a cardiac chamber. The authors describe and classify many of these nonsurgical extracardiac shunts or fistulas according to their source and endpoint (eg, systemic-to-systemic, systemic-to-pulmonic, pulmonic-to-systemic, and pulmonic-to-pulmonic) and to whether the oxygenated blood mixes with deoxygenated systemic venous flow (left-to-right shunts), deoxygenated blood bypasses the pulmonary capillary bed (right-to-left shunts), or oxygenated blood recirculates (left-to-left shunts). Clinical manifestations and imaging appearances of these conditions are highlighted.

MeSH terms

  • Angiography / methods*
  • Humans
  • Thorax / blood supply*
  • Vascular Fistula / diagnosis*