We are proud to report that a new publication by our HHT-WG Chair Prof Claire Shovlin, the British Thoracic Society Clinical Statement on Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations, is now available.
Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are abnormal blood vessels that connect pulmonary arteries directly to pulmonary veins, creating an anatomic right-to-left shunt, which allows unprocessed pulmonary arterial blood to enter the systemic circulation. PAVMs are most commonly caused by hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), but can also occur sporadically, and may lead to serious complications if left untreated or if managed improperly.
This newly published Clinical Statement addresses such key issues as the management of PAVMs (interventional and medical), the screening and diagnosis of PAVMs and HHT, and the follow-up recommendations for patients following a first diagnosis, an intervention or a negative screen for PAVMs.
A summary of Good Practice Points, targeted towards general respiratory, medical and specialist clinicians is included. It is hoped that this Clinical Statement brings some much needed attention to this underappreciated condition that is often a challenge for practicing healthcare professionals.
Read the full BTS Clinical Statement here: https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/document-library/clinical-information/pavm/bts-clinical-statement-on-pulmonary-arteriovenous-malformations/
And the accompanying editorial, entitled Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations emerge from the shadows, here: http://thorax.bmj.com/content/72/12/1071
Reference: Thorax. 2017 Dec;72(12):1154-1163. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2017-210764. British Thoracic Society Clinical Statement on Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations. Shovlin CL1,2, Condliffe R3, Donaldson JW4, Kiely DG3,5, Wort SJ6,1; British Thoracic Society.