Pulmonary venous occlusion

What it means

Substantial narrowing or blockage of small pulmonary veins as a result of disorganized smooth muscle hypertrophy and collagen matrix deposition.

This feature can be observed by histological examination of lung tissue. The feature can be seen in pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD). PVOD is characterized by diffuse occlusion of the pulmonary veins by fibrous tissue, pulmonary venous congestion and associated complications including severe pulmonary hypertension (pHTN), non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, hypoxia and right-ventricular failure. Clinical presentation is typically non-specific, including dyspnea, fatigue and cough.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Pulmonary venoocclusive disease · Pulmonary venous stenosis