Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation Surgery in a Pregnant Woman: A Case Report

Abstract

Background and purpose: Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM) are lung lesions that affect most of the periphery of the lower lobes, and are manifested by dyspnea, hemoptysis, and hemothorax. Pregnancy is one of the conditions in which these malformations appear due to hemodynamic changes and hormonal factors such as increased levels of estrogen. This paper presents the case of a pregnant woman at 28 weeks of gestation who received first-aid treatment for symptoms of respiratory distress and hemothorax. Then, she was transferred to the operating room and thoracotomy was performed and the vascular lesion was resected. After that, the patient had stable hemodynamic conditions and was transferred to the ward. Our patient was eligible for thoracotomy due to pulmonary manifestations of the disease. In dealing with these situations, immediate counseling and collaboration of gynecologists with thoracic surgeons can save the lives of mother and her fetus.

Keywords

• pulmonary arteriovenous malformation
• pregnancy
• thoracotomy
• hemothorax