Objective To analyze the clinical presentations and radiological characteristics of pulmonary vein stenosis after radiofrequency ablation. Methods Clinical and radiological data of 2 patients with pulmonary vein stenosis after radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation were retrospectively analyzed and literatures were reviewed. Results Both patients had undergone circumferential pulmonary vein isolation. The symptoms appeared approximately 2 months after the operation. The major symptoms were cough, hemoptysis, exacerbation of dyspnea and chest pain. Both patients were misdiagnosed as other diseases such as pneumonia in other hospitals, and the anti-infection therapy was invalid. Both CT scans showed parenchymal exudative consolidation with varying degrees of interstitial septal thickening and small nodules. Both patients were confirmed as pulmonary vein stenosis by CT angiography. Literature review identified 21 cases of pulmonary vein stenosis after radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation. The main clinical features are hemoptysis, chest pain, shortness of breath and cough. The most common features of thoracic radiological imaging are consolidation, groud-glass attenuation, pleural effusion and interstitial septal thickening. Conclusions If a patient presents with hemoptysis, dyspnea, chest pain or other clinical manifestations after ablation therapy and image findings show parenchymal exudative consolidation with interstitial septal thickening and multiple small nodules, the possibility of pulmonary vein stenosis should be considered. Contrast-enhanced CT combined with pulmonary vein imaging technology can clearly show the opening diameter of each pulmonary vein and its branches, so it is an important non-invasive examination method for the evaluation and diagnosis of pulmonary vein stenosis.

Citation： Yu Min, Li Yan, Miao Liyun, Ma Miao, Zhu Bin, Wang Maoxue, Cai Hourong. Pulmonary Vein Stenosis after Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Two Cases Report and Literature Review. Chinese Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2016, 15(3): 261-265. doi: 10.7507/1671-6205.2016061 Copy