Systemic-to-pulmonary Venous Shunt in Superior Vena Cava Syndromes revealed on Multi-detector Spiral CT

Objective To observe enhancement of CT imagining of systemic-to-pulmonary venous shunts in patients with superior vena cava syndromes(SVCS).Also to analyze the notable and reoccurring characteristics of systemic-to-pulmonary venous shunts.Methods Divide 33 SVCS patients into three groups according to the position of blocking: position of blocking above the azygos vein,position of blocking below the azygos vein,position of blocking above and below the azygos vein.Also divide 33 SVCS patients into two groups according to pleural thickening or not.Results There are 7 patients in the group of blocking above the arch of azygos vein,9 patients in the group of blocking below the arch of azygos vein,and 17 patients in the group of blocking above and below the arch of azygos vein.There are 10 patients in the group of pleural thickening and 23 patients in the group of pleural not thickening.Conclusion Systemic-to-pulmonary venous shunts in superior vena cava obstruction commonly shows in two forms of on computer tomography.Shunts occurrence are closely related to position of blocking in superior vena cave and pleural thickening or not,it frequently occurs in the group of blocking above and below the arch of azygos vein in the group of pleural thickening.