Spontaneous Non-Traumatic Mediastinal Hematoma in a Patient on Imatinib Therapy for a Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Rida Aziz1, Azeem Khan1, Maryam Yousefi1

  • 1Internal Medicine, William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Hattiesburg, USA.

Cureus
|May 19, 2023
PubMed

Mediastinal hematomas are thoracic complications often resulting from direct trauma or aortic dissections. Spontaneous non-traumatic mediastinal hematomas are rare. We present a case of spontaneous non-traumatic mediastinal hematoma in a patient on Imatinib therapy for a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). A 67-year-old female presented to the ER with the chief complaint of constant sharp right shoulder pain that progressed to her chest. The patient was not on any anticoagulants and had not complained of shortness of breath. Under suspicion of a pulmonary embolism, a CT chest scan was performed, and a diagnosis of non-traumatic anterior mediastinal hematoma was confirmed. This case may warrant further investigation into the links between Imatinib use and the formation of mediastinal hematomas.

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