Idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery: Report of four cases

Idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery (IDPA) is a rare congenital d isease which is usually detected fortuitously on chest x-ray, thus radiolog ists must be aware of this clinical entity. This report describes four case s to which Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) played a major role in diagnosi ng IDPA and in detecting the concomitant findings observed in this disease. MRI is a non-invasive procedure with many advantages for the accurate and reproducible measurement of artery structures, which makes it the preferred option for combined use with echocardiography in the diagnosis and follow- up of patients with IDPA. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.