Treatment of Peripheral Pulmonary Artery Stenosis.

Peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis (PAS) is an abnormal narrowing of the pulmonary vasculature and can form anywhere within the pulmonary artery tree. PAS is a congenital or an acquired disease, and its severity depends on the etiology, location, and number of stenoses. Most often seen in infants and young children, some symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, and tachycardia. Symptoms can progressively worsen over time as right ventricular pressure increases, leading to further complications including pulmonary artery hypertension and systolic and diastolic dysfunctions. The current treatment options for PAS include simple balloon angioplasty, cutting balloon angioplasty, and stent placement. Simple balloon angioplasty is the most basic therapeutic option for proximally located PAS. Cutting balloon angioplasty is utilized for more dilation-resistant PAS vessels and for more distally located PAS. Stent placement is the most effective option seen to treat the majority of PAS; however, it requires multiple re-interventions for serial dilations and is generally reserved for PAS vessels that are resistant to angioplasty.