How is Pulmonary Vein stenosis (PVS) Diagnosed?
DiagnosisMany times, a medical provider will discover a child has pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) when they perform tests for other reasons. Children who are suspected of having PVS may undergo the following tests to examine blood flow in the pulmonary veins and the function of their right heart:
- Echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to make an image of the heart
- Imaging tests, such as a CT scan (which uses x-rays) or an MRI (which uses magnetic fields)
- Cardiac catheterization, in which a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into the heart through blood vessels
- Cardiac perfusion scan, which measures the amount of blood in the heart both at rest and after stress
How is Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Treated?
TreatmentsTreatment for pulmonary vein stenosis varies depending on a child’s age and overall health, how many veins are affected, and if any other conditions are present. If your child is diagnosed with PVS, our team of dedicated pediatric specialists will monitor them regularly to make sure their pulmonary veins and lungs remain healthy.
Medical therapy
Medications may include diuretics to relieve lung congestion, medications for pulmonary hypertension, or anti-inflammatory agents to slow the progression of PVS.
Catheter-based interventions
Stent implantation and/or balloon angioplasty are used to open pulmonary veins. Our pediatric interventional cardiologists perform these procedures on newborns, infants, and older children with PVS to maintain veins, and even re-open previously closed-off veins to improve the blood flow in these children.
Surgery
Surgery relieves narrowing in the veins, allowing the blood to flow through them unobstructed. Our pediatric cardiac surgeons are world-renowned experts in PVS surgery and offer several different surgical approaches to open narrowed veins in children and infants with PVS.
Trust NewYork-Presbyterian for Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Treatment
Our pediatric cardiologists have developed some of the latest therapies for PVS and lead national research efforts to improve the care of patients who are severely affected by the condition.
The NewYork-Presbyterian pediatric cardiology program, operating across NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital, provides advanced, multidisciplinary care of children with PVS from diagnosis through treatment.