Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation : does anyone still remember about this abnormality?

Background: Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is a junction between medium-sized arteries and veins bypassing the capillary system. The junctions may have a very different macro- and microscopic structure; they may be multiple or single. Their important feature is shortening of blood flow route between the pulmonary artery and pulmonary veins. PAVM is a very rare pathology, occurring twice more often in females than males; it may coexist with Osler-Weber-Rendu disease and may be hereditary. Currently the diagnostic 'gold standard' for this pathology is CT-angiography and the treatment of choice is embolization or cardiothoracic surgery. Case Report: In this article we presented CT images of an incidentally diagnosed PAVM in a 33-year-old woman, visible as a rounded opacity on chest radiograph. Conclusions: A routine chest radiograph in two basic views (PA and lateral) demonstrated the presence of a rounded opacity in the posterior basal segment of the left lower lobe. However it was not sufficient for a certain diagnosis. The chest CT examination with unenhanced and enhanced scans allowed to differentiate the described lesion and to conclusively diagnose arteriovenous malformation. The patient remains under constant thoracosurgical follow-up.