Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm after lung resection successfully treated by coil embolization

Abstract

A 60-year-old man complaining of pyrexia and hemoptysis was diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma in his right lung. He underwent a right lower lobectomy with lymph node dissection. Following chest tube removal, he suffered from pyrexia and hemoptysis necessitating CT-scans which detected a pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm (PAP). An emergent pulmonary arteriography was performed and the PAP was embolized with microcoils. After six years of follow-up, he has been free from recurrence of both the PAP and lung cancer. PAPs represent a rare, but life-threatening condition. Because of their risk of rupture, emergent intervention is necessary. In the past, PAPs were treated with open repair, but recent advances in endovascular surgery have allowed for a less invasive treatment. In this report, we describe an extremely rare case of PAP after lobectomy for lung cancer that was successfully treated by coil embolization. © 2010 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.