Pulmonary infarct

Pulmonary infarct is the death of lung tissue due to oxygen deprivation.

It is also known as a lung infarct, lung infarction, and pulmonary infarction.

General

• Uncommon because of the dual blood supply (systemic via the bronchial arteries, pulmonary via the pulmonary arteries).

Common causes:

• Pulmonary embolism.
• Sickle cell disease.

Less common causes:

• Lymphoma, esp. acute promyelocytic leukemia.
• Drugs, e.g. chemotherapy.
• Vasculitis.
• Others.

Gross

• Lung periphery, classically described as wedge-shaped.

Note:

• In a histologic section, the classic wedge-shaped infarct is triangular:
  • Base of triangle on the pleural aspect.
  • Point furthest from the pleura close to the compromised artery that lead to infarction.

Image:

• Pulmonary infarct (sciencephoto.com).
• Pulmonary infarct (flickr.com)

Microscopic

Features:

• Necrosis of alveolar walls - loss of nuclei.
• Alveolar hemorrhage.

Image

• 

  Pulmonary infarct - low mag. (WC)

See also

• Pulmonary pathology.