Haemoptysis caused by the absence of the right pulmonary vein in an 11-year-old child: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND

The absence of the pulmonary vein is a rare Congenital cardiovascular anomaly. It is most commonly diagnosed in infants, and diagnosis in adolescence is rare. Here, we report the case of an 11-year-old girl with absence of the right pulmonary vein, initially misdiagnosed with interstitial lung disease.

CASE PRESENTATION: This patient presented with recurrent haemoptysis, recurrent respiratory infection and decreased activity tolerance. The radiological findings included bronchiectasis, septal thickening, a small right lung with hypoplasia of the ipsilateral pulmonary artery and ipsilateral mediastinal shift. CTA revealed the absence of the right pulmonary vein. Surgery was recommended. However, the patient opted for conservative treatment and outpatient follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This report emphasizes the epidemiological factors, clinical features, and imaging findings of unilateral pulmonary vein atresia to prevent confusion and facilitate accurate diagnosis in similar cases. Unilateral PVA diagnosis should be considered when patients exhibit characteristic imaging features such as septal thickening, hypoplasia of the ipsilateral pulmonary artery and lung, compensatory dilation of the contralateral pulmonary artery and emphysema of the contralateral lung, coupled with clinical hallmarks including recurrent respiratory infection, haemoptysis, and decreased activity tolerance.