Interruption of Aortic Flow Between the Thoracic and Abdominal Aorta With Development of Collateral Circulation Secondary to Bronchogenic Carcinoma

Radionuclide demonstration of collateral circulation resulting from venous occlusion (such as superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, or femoral vein) has been well documented. The article reports that a patientʼs first pass radionuclide study of the thoracoabdominal region showed interruption of normal flow between the thoracic and abdominal aorta with gradual filling-in of the abdominal aorta with multiple collateral vessels in the thoracoabdominal and pelvic regions. The subsequent CT scan of the chest and abdomen demonstrated a large right mediastinal mass invading the major vessels inferior to the carina. The mass was found to be a poorly differentiated carcinoma.