ABSTRACT
Angiogenesis is increasingly being recognized for its role in promoting the
pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases and tumorigenesis. Newly formed blood
vessels have abnormal walls, causing them to be susceptible to disruption and
extravasation of blood elements. Indeed, patients with inflammatory pulmonary
diseases and lung cancer often develop a life-threatening massive hemoptysis (1).
Hemoptysis in the vast majority of patients originates from systemic, rather than
the pulmonary vasculature, and the bronchial vessels are almost universally
involved (2,3). Numerous anatomical and radiological studies have shown that the
bronchial vasculature, in contrast to the pulmonary vasculature, has a remarkable
capacity for proliferation in various experimental and clinical lung disorders.
Besides the bronchial vasculature, other systemic arteries surrounding the lung
frequently contribute to the perfusion of lesions responsible for hemoptysis. The
presence of systemic angiogenesis in the lung makes lung resection more difficult
and increases the risks of major intraoperative hemorrhage.
