Pulmonary vein stenosis assessed by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography

Abstract

We report a case about a 43-year-old man admitted to hospital with progressive exertional dyspnea and hemoptysis. Two months before admission, he had undergone radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Subsequent investigation revealed a severe obstruction of the left upper pulmonary vein (LUPV). Three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography improved the morphological characterization of the LUPV, including direct en face visualization from the left atrium, and enabled the performance of direct planimetry at the level of LUPV stenosis using multiplanar review mode. Our case illustrates the usefulness of 3D transesophageal echocardiography in the accurate assessment of this rare but serious complication.