Pulmonary vaso-occlusive disease

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue on exertion
• Fainting
• Coughing up blood
• Difficulty breathing while lying flat

The doctor will perform a physical exam.

The exam may reveal:

• High blood pressure in the veins of the lungs
• Increased pressure in the neck veins
• Fingernail clubbing
• Bluish coloration of the skin due to lack of oxygen ( cyanosis )
• Swelling in the legs

Your doctor may hear abnormal heart sounds when listening to the chest and lungs with a stethoscope.

The following tests may be done:

• Arterial blood gases
• Chest x-ray
• Chest CT
• Cardiac catheterization
• Pulmonary angiogram
• Echocardiogram
• Lung biopsy

Images

Respiratory system

Review Date: 06/02/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. 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)