Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm following blunt trauma

Abstract

Blunt trauma is a rare cause of pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm. We report a case of a pseudoaneurysm of the right pulmonary artery sustained after a high speed motor vehicle accident, identified on multidetector CT imaging of the chest. After initial resuscitation, the patient remained haemodynamically stable and surgical management, with patch repair, was undertaken 4 days after the trauma. The patient was discharged without complication and follow-up imaging revealed no residual pseudoaneurysm. This case report highlights the need to assess both the aorta and pulmonary arteries on CT of the chest for potential sites of vascular injury.