Assessment of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries with multidetector-row computed tomography.

Multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) studies were performed in three adult patients with pulmonary atresia with a ventricular septal defect. In all patients, the native pulmonary arteries were absent, and the pulmonary circulation was totally supplied by major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs). MDCT studies with 1-mm collimation provided detailed information on MAPCAs and bronchial collaterals, such as the numbers and sites of origin, their varying diameters, their courses, and the areas of the lungs they supply. MDCT studies may provide an efficient road map for safe and successful selective catheterization and may substitute for conventional angiography in patients with considerable risks.