"When the
bronchial arteries are sacrificed and not restored when lungs are transplanted, that leaves the airways dependent on collateral flow from the pulmonary artery system," Dr.
Conducting airways receive their blood supply from branches of
bronchial arteries, while the terminal respiratory units receive blood from branches of the pulmonary arteries.
[sup][2],[3] The first procedure for embolization therapy is a complete angiography of the pulmonary vascular tree when bleeding
bronchial arteries are seen, embolization therapy is carried out.
About 10% of ALCAPA patients can survive to adulthood by well-developed intercoronary and extra coronary systemic collaterals (mainly from the
bronchial arteries) (2, 4).
In cases where bronchoscopy fails to identify the cause, angiography of the
bronchial arteries can be diagnostically helpful, since the
bronchial arteries are frequently the cause of massive haemoptysis (90%) (8,9).
(4) The aneurysms usually involve the pulmonary and/or the
bronchial arteries, although the systemic circulation can be affected too.
A bronchial artery angiogram showed hypertrophied
bronchial arteries in the right upper lobe with no bleeders & on the left side it was normal.
These branches persist as enlarged supradiaphragmatic and infradiaphragmatic aortic branches, or as
bronchial arteries in cases in which the pulmonary artery does not develop (2).
The source of hemoptysis in cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis is usually from the
bronchial arteries. Although pseudoaneurysm of
bronchial arteries is an important source of hemoptysis, it is seen infrequently.