Diagnosis of pulmonary arteriovenous malformation with color Doppler ultrasonography

Pulmonary AVM refers to the absence of an intervening capillary network between the branches of the pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein, resulting in disturbances in gas exchange. Patients with dsypnea often are cyanotic and exhibit clubbing, but the classic symptoms and signs may be absent even in patients with large lesions. In this pulmonary disorder, noninvasive diagnostic techniques are preferred. Recently, ultrasonography has been found effective in assessing peripheral pulmonary lesions. An adult patient with a pleural-based pulmonary AVM diagnosed by color Doppler sonography is described.