Pulmonary varix mimicking pulmonary arteriovenous malformation in a patient with Turner syndrome

Abstract

A 36-year-old asymptomatic female with Turner syndrome was referred for a 3-cm opacity of the left lung detected by routine chest X-ray. A computed tomography scan of the chest suggested a vascular lesion such as pulmonary arteriovenous malformation, and transcatheter embolotherapy was considered. The lack of a right-to-left shunt on contrast echocardiography led to suspect an alternate diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging and pulmonary angiography eventually demonstrated a pulmonary varix associated with a partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. Contrast echocardiography may help to distinguish between pulmonary varix and arteriovenous malformation.