AJR F and L Medical Products: Radiation Protection & More
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hall, F. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pierce, K. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hall, F. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pierce, K. L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Hotlight (NEW!)
Right arrow
What's Hotlight?
AJR 2005; 184:697
© American Roentgen Ray Society

Anomalous Course of the Azygos Vein

Ferris M. Hall

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School Boston, MA 02215

Demos et al. [1] state that "an anomalous course of the azygos vein in the right lung apex gives rise to an azygos lobe." These authors show images of an azygos vein "separating azygos lobe from right upper lobe" as well as a "hemiazygos lobe." Their azygos lobe is a nonentity [2]. This mythical lobe has no corresponding bronchial or vascular anatomy. Rather, the anomalous migration of the azygos vein creates a multilayer pleural fissure that merely indents a portion of the otherwise normal upper lobe.


References
Top
 References
References 
 

  1. Demos TC, Posniak HV, Pierce KL, Olson MC, Muscato M. Venous anomalies of the thorax. AJR2004; 182:1139 –1150[Free Full Text]
  2. Hall FM. The azygos lobe: a nonentity? (letter) AJR 1992;158:458[Medline]

Reply

Terrence C. Demos, Harold V. Posniak and Kenneth L. Pierce

Loyola University Medical Center Maywood, IL 60153

Nostrae culpae. The use of the term "azygos lobe" in our manuscript [1] is one more example of the perpetuation of the misnomer related to this anomaly that has been incorrectly referred to as a lobus venae azygos since 1778 [2]. The continuing use of this term is indicated by 14 articles with titles containing the words "azygos lobe" cited in PubMed since the publication of Dr. Hall's previous letter to the editor, "The Azygos Lobe: A Nonentity?" in 1992 [3]. It is noteworthy that three of these articles were written by one or more of the same authors who in 1992 replied to Dr. Hall's letter by agreeing with him that there is no azygos lobe [4–6].

Despite attempts to expunge "azygos lobe" from the medical lexicon, it remains firmly entrenched and is understood by radiologists and nonradiologists alike.


References 
Top
 References
 References 
 

  1. Demos TC, Posniak HV, Pierce KL, Olson MC, Muscato M. Venous anomalies of the thorax. AJR2004; 182:1139 –1150[Free Full Text]
  2. Wrisberg HA. Observationes anatomicae de vena azyga duplici, aliisque hujus venae varietaibus. Novis Commentariis Societatis Reg Sci Gottingen 1777;8:14; www.vh.org/adult/provider/anatomy/AnatomicVariants/OrganSystem/Text/LungsTrachea.html. Accessed December 15, 2004
  3. Hall FM. The azygos lobe: a nonentity? (letter) AJR 1992;158:458[Medline]
  4. Caceres J, Mata JM, Alegret X, Palmer J, Franquet T. Increased density of the azygos lobe on frontal chest radiographs simulating disease: CT findings in seven patients. AJR1993; 160:245 –248[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  5. Mata JM, Caceres J, Moure C, Garcia-Conesa JA, Panella D, Llano JM. Azygos continuation of inferior vena cava associated with an azygos lobe: computed tomography findings. J Thorac Imaging1996; 11:89 –90[Medline]
  6. Caceres J, Mata JM, Andreu J. The azygos lobe: normal variants that may simulate disease. Eur J Radiol1998; 27:15 –20[Medline]

Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?



This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hall, F. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pierce, K. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hall, F. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pierce, K. L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Hotlight (NEW!)
Right arrow
What's Hotlight?

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS