Hemorrhage due to inflammatory erosion of the pulmonary artery stump in postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula.
Bleeding from the pulmonary artery in patients with a bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy is a rare but devastating complication. The incidence is unknown, but our data suggest an incidence of 4% in all postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistulas. Two case histories are presented in which the anterior transpericardial approach was used to stop the pulmonary bleeding by direct suturing. Nevertheless, 1 patient died 5 days later because of irreversible brain damage; the other patient recovered well after a protracted convalescence.
Khargi
K
K
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Academic Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
Duurkens
V A
VA
Knaepen
P J
PJ
de la Riviere
A B
AB
D000368:Aged; D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000209:etiology*; D005402:Fistula / Q000209:etiology*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery