[Spontaneous tension hemothorax due to rupture of a solitary fibrous tumor of the posterior mediastinum].

Abstract

A 37-year-old man was transported by ambulance to our hospital due to abrupt chest pain. The pain began when he was practicing a combative-type sport. He denied any impact or blunt trauma. A chest radiograph revealed massive left pleural effusion with a mediastinal shift. Thoracentesis revealed a hemothorax;therefore, we performed an emergency thoracotomy. The intraoperative findings revealed a rupture of a posterior mediastinal tumor itself located between the descending aorta and the thoracic vertebra. After we identified the artery of Adamkiewicz that originates away from the tumor and evaluated the degree of tumor extension into the inter-vertebral foramen, we safely performed an elective tumor resection 1 month after the initial emergency operation. In patients with a hemothorax caused by rupture of the tumor itself, an elective tumor resection after detailed investigation should be considered if hemostasis can be achieved in the emergency thoracotomy.

• Authors: Yohei Morita, Hideo Ichimura, Shinji Kikuchi, Yuichiro Ozawa, Kazunari Inoue, Atsushi Uchida, Kazunori Kikuchi, Masanari Shiigai, Seiji Shiotani
• Journal: Kyobu geka. The Japanese journal of thoracic surgery (Kyobu Geka) Vol. 66 Issue 11 Pg. 1006-9 (Oct 2013) ISSN: 0021-5252 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 24105118 (Publication Type: Case Reports, English Abstract, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Hemothorax (etiology)
• Humans
• Male
• Mediastinal Neoplasms (pathology)
• Rupture, Spontaneous
• Solitary Fibrous Tumors (pathology)