Rasmussen's aneurysm: A rare and forgotten cause of hemoptysis

Abstract

Hemoptysis as a sequelae of past tubercular infection of lungs is a known occurrence. Hemoptysis in such a patient can result from a number of etiologies like tubercular reactivation, bronchiectasis, aspergiloma and vascular complications like hypervascularity from bronchial arteries, arteriovenous fistula formation, pseudoaneurysms, etc. Massive hemoptysis in such a patient is usually treated by bronchial artery embolization and occasionally by surgical lobectomy. A rare source of bleeding in such a patient is from Rasmussen's aneurysm arising from the pulmonary arteries. We report a young patient of treated pulmonary tuberculosis who had recurrent hemoptysis. He was treated earlier with bronchial artery embolization. On recurrence of hemoptysis, he was reevaluated and was found to have multiple Rasmussen's aneurysms arising from the pulmonary arteries, which were successfully treated by coil embolization.

Keywords: Coil embolization; Hemoptysis; Rasmussen's aneurysm.