Rupture of the main pulmonary trunk in a woman with severe pulmonary artery hypertension and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
Leavitt-Caraballo, J.L.; López-Rodríguez, J.é E.; Reyes-Peña, J.é C.; Agosto, E.
Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico 103(4): 55-60
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-4849 PMID: 22737832 Document Number: 702596
Spontaneous rupture of the main pulmonary trunk is a very uncommon complication of severe pulmonary hypertension. The condition manifests as sudden death or cardiogenic shock usually diagnosed postmortem. We report the case of a 65-year-old-women with severe pulmonary hypertension and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, among other diseases, evaluated due to severe epistaxis. Initial evaluation was performed and during observation, the patient developed sudden cardiac death. Autopsy revealed rupture of the main pulmonary trunk as the cause of death.