Pulmonary Endarteritis and Subsequent Embolization to the Lung as a Complication of a Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Abstract

The authors describe a case of pulmonary endarteritis and subsequent embolization to the lungs as a complication of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Although 2-dimensional echocar diography has been shown to be of great value in the diagnosis of patients with infective endocarditis, echocardiographic detection of vegetation within the pulmonary artery and subsequent embolization to the lung is extremely rare and, to our knowledge, has been previ ously reported only in a few cases. In brief, our case not only shows the importance of echocar diography in making this rare diagnosis but also emphasizes the role of echocardiography as an effective means of following up such a case.