Giant Rasmussen's aneurysm in a 9-year-old boy: A case report

Rasmussen's aneurysm is a pseudoaneurysm caused by tuberculosis, when cavitation occurs adjacent to a pulmonary artery, which can be lethal. It is a rare complication usually affecting adults. This is a case of an 9-year-old boy initially admitted for pneumonia that developed hemoptysis during admission. Chest X-ray done after this episode showed development of a left hilar mass not present in the previous studies. A chest CT with contrast subsequently revealed a saccular aneurysm arising from the left lower lobe pulmonary artery adjacent to a cavity, a Rasmussen's aneurysm. The patient was treated conservatively with continuation of anti-TB medication and serial monitoring due to the size of the aneurysm being less than 6 cm and spontaneous resolution of the hemoptysis. This report stresses that a Rasmussen's aneurysm should always be in the differential diagnosis of a hilar mass in a patient with hemoptysis, regardless of the patient's age.