Rasmussen's aneurysm is a
pulmonary artery
A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the ''main pulmonary artery'' or ''pulmonary trunk'' from the heart, and ...
aneurysm
An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...
associated with a cavitary lung lesion. It was originally described by
Fritz Valdemar Rasmussen in association with cavitary lung lesions of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
,
[Rasmussen, V. On hemoptysis, especially when fatal, in its anatomical and clinical aspects. (Translated from the Hospitals-Tidende, 11th year, nos. 9–13, Copenhagen, February and March, 1868, by Moore WD). Edinburgh Med J. 1868; 14: 385–401] and was described in up to 5% of autopsies of those with chronic tuberculosis. As with any aneurysm, a Rasmussen's aneurysm is at increased risk of rupture and
bleeding into the lungs.
Pulmonary artery aneurysms are rare. Historically, pulmonary artery aneurysms were believed to be a common cause of
hemoptysis
Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood or blood-stained mucus from the bronchi, larynx, trachea, or lungs. In other words, it is the airway bleeding. This can occur with lung cancer, infections such as tuberculosis, bronchitis, or pneumonia, a ...
(or coughing up blood) in tuberculosis. They may in fact have been more common prior to the use of antibiotics.
Current understanding is that most hemoptysis is related to bleeding from the systemic
bronchial arteries
In human anatomy, the bronchial arteries supply the lungs with nutrition and oxygenated blood. Although there is much variation, there are usually two bronchial arteries that run to the left lung, and one to the right lung and are a vital part o ...
of the lung.
While the "classic" terminology relates the lesion to cavitary tuberculosis, the term is now used for the anatomic aneurysm associated with other destructive lung lesions. Even when the pulmonary aneurysm is present, the actual bronchial bleeding may be from the bronchial artery, rather than from the pulmonary artery.
References
Vascular diseases
Tuberculosis
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