Prenatal screening and diagnosis of pulmonary artery anomalies

Abstract

Congenital pulmonary artery anomalies are rare. Their antenatal diagnosis requires good knowledge of fetal cardiac anatomy because their clinical presentation varies depending on the type and severity of the underlying lesion. Screening of these vascular anomalies can be straightforward in some cases because of significant associated consequences that are detected easily on ultrasound, while other anomalies have considerably less obvious features. There may be an associated genetic syndrome. The aim of this review was to define anomalies of the main pulmonary artery and its branches and to propose, through the identification of suspicious findings during routine antenatal heart examination, an optimal screening method for the pulmonary artery pathway. We propose that pulmonary artery anomalies can be classified antenatally into four types of disorder. Herein we describe 14 cases subgrouped accordingly as: anomalies of the pulmonary valvular region, with stenosis or atresia of the valve (n = 4); conotruncal abnormalities (n = 4); anomalies associated with abnormal origin or course of the pulmonary artery (n = 4); and anomalies associated with abnormal growth of the pulmonary artery and its branches (n = 2). We highlight the need to differentiate the three-vessel view from the three-vessel-and-trachea view when assessing a fetus with a congenital pulmonary artery anomaly.

To Investigate the Occurrence and Development of Colorectal Cancer Based on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway

“…A highly active state of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway increase drug resistance in colorectal cancer cells, inhibits apoptosis, and promotes tumor cell survival [88]. The gain or loss of function of proteins on this signaling axis leads to the transformation of multiple cancers, therefore investigating inhibitors of this pathway will have a role in treating these tumors [89]. Scientists expect the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to become a drug target for tumors and are currently working to develop drugs that inhibit the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway [90].…”