A case of recurrent hemothorax associated with von Recklinghausen's disease

Abstract

A 62-year-old woman with von Recklinghausen's disease was admitted to our hospital because of sudden severe back pain. Chest CT revealed left hemothorax, and a chest drainage tube was inserted. She was asymptomatic for twelve hours after drainage, but then she suddenly suffered cardiopulmonary arrest due to re-bleeding. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately initiated and an emergency operation was performed. The origin of the bleeding was the left seventh intercostal artery. Her postoperative course was uneventful. There have been some cases which were treated conservatively or treated with endovascular embolization because the bleeding vessel was too fragile to suture. However, urgent thoracotomy is needed in many cases.