January 2007 Vol 7 correct A.indd


Behçet’s Disease
Bilateral Pulmonary Arterial Aneurysms Presenting as Pulmonary Embolism

Rajeev Jain1, Samir S Hussein1, *Sukhpal Sawhney1

بهجت مرض
رئوي انصمام شكل على الظاهر الرئويني الشريانني في ام الدم

 SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY MEDICAL JOURNAL
DECEMBER 2006 VOL 6, NO. 2
SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY©

M E D I C A L  I M A G E

1Department of Department of Radiology and Molecular Imaging, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, P. O. Box 35, Al-Khod 123, Sultanate of 
Oman

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: sukh@squ.edu.om

Figure 1: Perfusion lung scintigraphy with 99mTc-MAA.Multiple segmental defects in both lungs. High 
probability of pulmonary embolism)



R A J E E V  J A I N ,  S A M I R  S  H U S S E I N ,  S U K H PA L  S AW H N E Y

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Figure 2: Maximum intensity projection (MIP) of contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance angiogram of 
the pulmonary arteries shows multiple aneurysms (open arrows) of the right pulmonary arterial branches 
and a branch of the left inferior pulmonary artery

A 30 years old soldier presented with a three-year his-
tory of recurrent oral ulcers and stomatitis, recurrent 
lobar pneumonias with hemoptysis, intermittent fever 
and weight loss.

C O M M E N T

Pulmonary artery aneurysms associated with pulmo-
nary artery thromboses are characteristic features of 
Behçet’s Disease.1,2 Pulmonary artery aneurysm for-
mation has a very poor prognosis,3 and death typically 
results from the rupture of aneurysms and massive 
hemoptysis.4

R E F E R E N C E S

1.  Ahn JM, Im JG, Ryoo JW, et al. Thoracic manifestations
of Bechet syndrome: radiographic and CT findings in
nine patients. Radiology 1995; 194:199-203.

2.  Winer-Muram HT, Headley AS, Menke P, Eltorky M. Ra-
diologic manifestations of thoracic vascular Bechet’s dis-
ease in African-American men. J Thorac Imaging 1994;
9:176-179.

3.  Erkan F, Gul A, Tasali E. Pulmonary manifestations of 
Bechet’s disease. Thorax 2001; 56:572-578.

4.  Durieux P, Bletry O, Huchon G, Wechsler B, Chretien J, 
Godeau P. Multiple pulmonary arterial aneurysms in Be-
chet’s disease and Hughes-Stovin syndrome. Am J Med 
1981; 71:736-741.