CT visualization of mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm

Pulmonary ligament rupture due to a bronchial artery aneurysm-induced hematoma: a case report

BACKGROUND

Bronchial artery aneurysm (BAA) is a rare vascular anomaly with the potential for serious complications, such as rupture leading to hemothorax or hemoptysis. Although bronchial artery embolization (BAE) is recognized as an effective intervention for ruptured BAA, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive approach for the treatment of associated hemothorax.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 73-year-old woman presented with a mediastinal hematoma from a ruptured BAA, causing bilateral hemothorax. Emergency angiography revealed a saccular BAA that was successfully embolized using a microcatheter and coil. Subsequent computed tomography revealed an expanding hemothorax managed by VATS, with 1400 mL of blood drained. During VATS, thoracoscopy revealed pulmonary ligament rupture, which was attributed to increased intramediastinal pressure. The patient was discharged eight days postoperatively with no complications. This case highlights the use of BAE and VATS in the management of mediastinal BAA rupture and massive hemothorax.

CONCLUSIONS

BAE proved to be an effective strategy for the management of ruptured mediastinal BAAs. VATS is a valuable standby procedure for hematoma removal, but the indication should be carefully determined because of the risk of BAA re-rupture.

Bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm presenting with hoarseness: Diagnosis and endovascular management

Bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare entity which is diagnosed radiologically; with or without symptoms. Symptoms of phonation changes with bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm are yet to be reported. This article describes the case of a 56-year-old man who presented with a history of a hoarse voice. This was investigated with computed tomography of his chest which diagnosed a bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm under the arch of the aorta. He was subsequently treated with coil embolization. The original symptoms improved with this intervention. This case highlights the rare presentation of hoarseness of voice in this rare condition.

CT for Evaluation of Hemoptysis

Hemoptysis, which is defined as expectoration of blood from the alveoli or airways of the lower respiratory tract, is an alarming clinical symptom with an extensive differential diagnosis. CT has emerged as an important noninvasive tool in the evaluation of patients with hemoptysis, and the authors present a systematic but flexible approach to CT interpretation. The first step in this approach involves identifying findings of parenchymal and airway hemorrhage. The second step is aimed at determining the mechanism of hemoptysis and whether a specific vascular supply can be implicated. Hemoptysis can have primary vascular and secondary vascular causes. Primary vascular mechanisms include chronic systemic vascular hypertrophy, focally damaged vessels, a dysplastic lung parenchyma with systemic arterial supply, arteriovenous malformations and fistulas, and bleeding at the capillary level. Evaluating vascular mechanisms of hemoptysis at CT also entails determining if a specific vascular source can be implicated. Although the bronchial arteries are responsible for most cases of hemoptysis, nonbronchial systemic arteries and the pulmonary arteries are important potential sources of hemoptysis that must be recognized. Secondary vascular mechanisms of hemoptysis include processes that directly destroy the lung parenchyma and processes that directly invade the airway. Understanding and employing this approach allow the diagnostic radiologist to interpret CT examinations accurately in patients with hemoptysis and provide information that is best suited to directing subsequent treatment. ^©RSNA, 2021.

Open surgical correction of multiple bronchial artery aneurysms

BACKGROUND

Bronchial artery aneurysms (BAAs) are a rare vascular entity. They can have various presentations ranging from an incidental finding on radiological examination to life-threatening hemoptysis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with three posterior mediastinal BAAs who presented with unilateral periscapular pain, shortness of breath, hoarseness, and dysphagia. The BAAs were removed successfully via thoracotomy, with excellent recovery and relief of the periscapular pain.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

We use this case as a platform to discuss the treatment options for BAAs.

Endovascular Treatment of Multiple Bronchial Artery Aneurysms With Prominent Fistula to Pulmonary Artery in a Patient With Interstitial Lung Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review

Bronchial artery aneurysm (BAA) is a rare entity. Ruptured BAA can cause life-threatening hemorrhage. It is recommended that treatment should be initiated immediately after diagnosis. We present the case of a 56-year-old female with multiple BAAs and interstitial lung disease. Aortic computed tomography angiography demonstrated that the largest aneurysm at the right hilum was fed by right subclavian artery and right bronchial artery. A fistula between the pulmonary trunk and the aneurysm was also revealed. The patient underwent transcatheter embolization. Coils were placed in the feeding vessels instead of the aneurysms to avoid nontarget embolization of the pulmonary arteries through the fistula. The procedure achieved reduction in aneurysmal blood flow. The patient's cough resolved at 6-month follow-up.

Diagnosis of bronchial artery aneurysm by computed tomography: a case report

Bronchial artery aneurysm is a rare vascular abnormality, with an incidence of <1% based on diagnosis by selective bronchial angiography. It is manifested in various forms, ranging from an incidental finding on radiologic examination to life-threatening hemorrhage resulting from aneurysm rupture. We report a case of a 60-year-old man with a mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm which was incidentally detected on chest computed tomography.

Endovascular treatment of ectopic bronchial artery aneurysm with brachiocephalic artery stent placement and coil embolization: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Bronchial artery aneurysm (BAA) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening disease, and multiple BAAs are even rarer. Clinically, the tortuous and short neck of a BAA may present significant challenges for invasive intervention.

METHODS

This report describes the detailed process of diagnosis and treatment and includes a literature review of the etiology, clinical presentation, and therapeutic management of BAA.

RESULTS

A rare case of multiple BAAs, with one having an inflow artery arising from the brachiocephalic trunk, was referred to our hospital. The patient was successfully treated with coil embolization and brachiocephalic artery stent placement. In addition, we conducted a literature review involving 63 cases of BAA. BAA was most commonly associated with bronchiectasis and was located predominantly in the mediastinum. There was no significant difference between the diameters of the ruptured aneurysms and those of the nonruptured aneurysms (P = 0.115). Transcatheter arterial embolization was the most commonly adopted technique to treat BAA, while thoracic aortic endovascular repair was selected if the neck between the aneurysm and the aorta was short. Subgroup analysis suggested that patients with > 1 BAA were significantly more likely to be female than male (χ test, P = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

Transcatheter coil embolization combined with stent placement could be a reasonable treatment option for BAAs with a tortuous and short neck. According to our literature review, patients with multiple BAAs display distinctive clinical characteristics compared with patients with a single BAA.

Spontaneous Rupture of a Mediastinal Bronchial Artery Aneurysm Induced by Anticoagulant Agent

Nontraumatic spontaneous rupture of a bronchial artery aneurysm is rarely seen. In this report, we described such a phenomenon in a patient induced by usage of anticoagulant agent. The patient had no antecedent history of trauma, hypertension, or apparent aortic pathology. The patient who had been taking low-molecular-weight heparin and warfarin to treat deep vein thrombosis complained of a sudden upper abdomen pain with shortness of breath and hypoxemia. The patient was diagnosed and treated for an acute hemomediastinum caused by a ruptured bronchial artery aneurysm. If the patient had continued to take the anticoagulant antithrombotic drugs, it may cause a more virulent bleeding. Taken together, CT angiography is a useful diagnosis tool for patients with sudden chest pain and abdominal pain, and rare cause should be considered.

Giant bronchial artery aneurysm presenting as a right hilar mass

We describe a case of bronchial artery aneurysm presenting as a solitary lung mass (4 × 5 cm) in a 53-year-old man with symptoms of cough for 3 months. The aneurysm was only detected at surgery, and resected by performing a middle lobectomy.

Spontaneous hemomediastinum and hemothorax caused by a ruptured bronchial artery aneurysm

A bronchial artery aneurysm (BAA) is uncommon and usually associated with chronic inflammatory lung disease or a systemic vascular condition, which is rarely the etiology of mediastinal hemorrhage. A middle-aged person presented with spontaneous hemothorax and hemomediastinum. A diagnostic evaluation identified a bronchial artery aneurysm as the source. To prevent further rupture, we performed a bronchial artery embolization. In the absence of trauma or other causes for hemothorax and mediastinal hemorrhage, the possibility of a BAA should be considered. A bronchial artery aneurysm can be managed by interventional techniques as well as surgery.