Bilateral lung transplant for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia in a pediatric patient

HHT is an autosomal dominant vascular dysplasia, in which abnormalities of endothelial cells cause patients to develop mucocutaneous telangiectasias, and AVMs of the pulmonary, hepatic, and cerebral circulations. Pulmonary AVMs occur in more than 20% of patients with HHT, and presentation varies from simple diffuse telangiectasias to large complex structures. Surgical management is usually indicated for large pulmonary AVMs. Treatment options for pulmonary AVMs include therapeutic embolization, segmental or lobar resection of the affected lung, and less commonly lung transplantation. Here we report the first successful case of a bilateral lung transplant for a four-yr-old girl with HHT.