Arteriovenous malformation - pulmonary

Many people have no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they can include:

• Bloody sputum
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty exercising
• Nosebleeds
• Shortness of breath with exertion

Other possible symptoms include:

• Blue skin (cyanosis)
• Clubbing of the fingers

• Abscesses or infections of the heart valves
• Abnormal blood vessels (telangiectasias) may be seen on the skin or mucus membranes
• Murmur heard when a stethoscope is placed over the abnormal blood vessel
• High red blood cell count

Tests include:

• Arterial blood gas
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Chest x-ray
• Chest CT scan
• Echocardiogram with bubble study
• Liver function tests
• Perfusion radionuclide lung scan
• Pulmonary arteriogram

Previous Section

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula Overview

Next Section

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula Treatment

Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Denis Hadijiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)