DESCENDING THORACIC AORTIC ANEURYSM RUPTURED INTO THE LEFT LOWER PULMONARY LOBE: A CASE REPORT

Massive hemoptysis is a relatively rare condition originating from different etiological causes. Among these, the leading causes are of pulmonary origin such as infection, malignancy, trauma, iatrogenic causes and of cardiovascular origin. Patients with aneurysm of thoracic aorta usually admit to the hospital with pain as the chief complaint developing due to expansion of the aortic aneurysm into or erosion of the surrounding tissues. Rarely,these patients admit with massive hemoptysis as the chief complaint, originating from the erosion of the tracheobronchial trunk by the aneurysm. This situation is usually fatal. Our case is a 62-yearold male admitting with massive hemoptysis occurring after a paroxysm of cough. After the examinations, it was revealed that he had an aneurysm of descending TAA ruptured into left inferior pulmonary lobe. He has undergone a successful operation of left inferior lobectomy and concomitant tubular graft interposition into the descending thoracic aorta providing distal aortic perfusion under partial cardiopulmonary bypass. (Turkish J Vasc Surg 2005;14(3):45-48).