Systemic arterial supply to the normal basal segments of the left lower lobe of the lung--treatment by coil embolization--and a literature review

Abstract

We report the case of a 24-year-old woman with systemic arterial supply to the normal basal segments of the left lower lobe of the lung. She experienced repeated episodes of hemoptysis. In this patient, the normal pulmonary arteries were absent in the affected segments. The aberrant artery arising from the descending thoracic aorta was embolized using metallic coils. The patient's recovery was uneventful, except that she had mild chest pain for 3 days after the procedure. Her symptom has not recurred since 1 year follow-up. Although proximal occlusion of the aberrant artery was observed, pulmonary infarction or necrosis of the affected segments was not shown on follow-up computed tomography. Transarterial embolization can be an alternative treatment option for patients with this rare congenital anomaly.