Cross or Not to Cross-Dilemma of the Pulmonary Arteries

We aimed to assess the frequency of criss-cross pulmonary arteries and associated intracardiac and vascular anomalies in patients who underwent CT angiography due to suspected congenital heart disease or vascular anomaly at our hospital. We retrospectively evaluated the CT angiography images of 355 patients aged 0–18 years between April 2018 and December 2022. The presence of the criss-cross pulmonary artery anomaly was assessed. Additionally, in patients with a criss-cross pulmonary artery anomaly, accompanying branch pulmonary artery anomalies, aortic arch anomalies, and other vascular-cardiac anomalies were also evaluated. A total of 331 patients’ images were evaluated. Criss-cross pulmonary artery anomaly was present in 57 patients (17.2%). Pulmonary artery branch anomaly was present in 16, aortic arch anomaly in 40 patients (70%) with criss-cross pulmonary artery anomaly, while associated intracardiac pathology (by echocardiography) was detected in 43 patients (75.4%). The frequency of criss-cross pulmonary artery was found to be significantly higher in patients with any aortic arch anomaly (p = 0.01). This study represents one of the largest series of patients with criss-cross pulmonary artery anomalies. Our results suggests that it may be more common than previously recognized and potentially overlooked. It is crucial to consider the presence of this anomaly in patients with complex aortic arch anomalies or cardiac pathologies, as it may have implications for surgical approaches and potential complications. Increased awareness of this anomaly among cardiologists and radiologists is necessary for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.