Radiological Case of the Month

Clinical History.—A 9-year-old girl was admitted to hospital with a history of an upper-respiratory tract infection of about four weeks' duration. She was reported to have had episodes of cyanosis when aged 1 month. There was no history of trauma, aspiration, or bronchial asthma. On examination, she was cooperative, of normal physical and mental development, and in no obvious respiratory distress. The only abnormal findings were in the chest: the trachea was shifted to the right, and air entry and breath sounds were diminished in the lower lobe of the right lung. No cardiac murmurs were heard. The femoral pulses were strong; blood pressure was 130/80 mm Hg in each leg and 80/50 mm Hg in each arm. Electrocardiogram findings were normal.

Denouement and Discussion 

Congenital Absence of Right Pulmonary Artery  Figure 1 shows decrease in volume of the right hemithorax and increase in that of the left. The