Meandering pulmonary veins Two case reports

Abstract

Rationale: Meandering pulmonary vein is a rare congenital pulmonary vascular anomaly. It presents unilateral single pulmonary vein that takes a circuitous route in the lung and drains normally into the left atrium. Most cases of meandering pulmonary vein have been reported to be right-sided. A few of them coincided with features of scimitar syndrome. Patient concerns: A 71-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man presented with incidentally found abnormal findings on chest radiographs. Diagnosis: Through multi-detector chest computed tomography, the 71-year-old woman was diagnosed as left-sided meandering pulmonary vein without any other anomalies while the 20-year-old man was diagnosed as having right-sided meandering pulmonary vein with features of scimitar syndrome. Interventions: Specific intervention was not performed for either patient. Outcomes: These patients were reassured and discharged. They are doing well without any respiratory symptoms. Lessons: Meandering pulmonary veins can occur on the left side and coincide with features of scimitar syndrome. Multi-detector computed tomography with 3D reconstruction allows clear depiction of vascular connections and associated anomalies, obviating the need for invasive procedures.