Left-sided partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) is a rare congenital anomaly in which one or more of a person’s pulmonary veins drains from the left lung into the systemic circulation instead of the heart’s left atrium.
In Volume 8, Issue 3 of Advocate Aurora Research Institute’s Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews (JPCRR), Loren Zuiderveld, MD, program director of diagnostic radiology residency at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, and coauthor Anika Dutta, MD, review the sparse literature on left-sided PAPVR published to date to more fully characterize its physiology, differential diagnoses and management.
“PAPVR in the left upper lobe is a rare anatomical variant and is often not clinically significant, but it is important for radiologists to recognize and report to referring clinicians, as it may lead to clinically relevant health risks,” Dr. Zuiderveld said. “While most patients remain asymptomatic their whole lives, others can develop life-threatening cardiovascular conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension or congestive heart failure.”
This unusual and potentially problematic circulatory defect is typically identified using chest CT scan or MRI, and the more severe cases may require surgical treatment.
Additional articles published within the current issue of JPCRR address a diverse collection of topics:
- Re-emergence of symptoms when Parkinson’s medications wear off;
- Relationship between loneliness and health care utilization;
- Adherence to patient-centered language in medical journals;
- Characteristics of burning eye syndrome;
- Primary care providers’ comfort with advanced diabetes technologies;
- Exercise for prevention of gestational diabetes;
- Delivery outcomes for women with COVID-19;
- Teaching physician trainees proper opioid management skills; and
- Use of business cards to encourage patient feedback.
Authors featured in this issue who are employed by Advocate Aurora Health include physicians M. Fuad Jan, MD, Suhail Allaqaband, MD, Marc Atzenhoefer, MD, Blair Tilkens, DO, Fatima Aziz, MD, and Dennis Baumgardner, MD; administrators Jodie Ruffin, David Parewski and Nicole Deklotz; biostatistician Ana Perez Moreno, MD, PhD; and researcher Viviana Zlochiver, PhD.
Visit aah.org/jpcrr to access all journal content. Follow @JPCRR on Twitter for regular publication updates and various patient-centered news.
Published by Advocate Aurora Health, the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews is a PubMed-indexed medical journal dedicated to scholarly works that aim to improve patient-centered care practices, health outcomes and patient experiences. JPCRR readership spans more than 200 countries.
To learn more about Advocate Aurora’s research, visit aurora.org/research.