Left Bronchial and Pulmonary Changes in Mitral Stenosis

¹ The Department of Medicine and the Cardiographic Laboratory, Beth Israel Hospital.

Displacements, compression, and structural changes of the left main bronchus, recurrent bronchitis and left basal pulmonary changes occur in patients with tight mitral stenosis.

Four cases illustrative of these conditions with problems of diagnosis, pathophysiologic interpretation and treatment are reported.

Explanations of the mechanism of bronchial air, vascular, and parenchymal alterations in patients with tight mitral stenosis are discussed. Though some are reported, the need for more experimental and clinical studies of air and blood pressures and flow in the lungs are indicated to better elucidate the interesting and striking clinical findings in the bronchi and lungs in mitral stenosis.