Intercostal artery aneurysm presenting as a spontaneous hemothorax in a patient with neurofibromatosis

Beyond the commonly known clinical presentation of neurofibromatosis, vascular pathologies are increasingly becoming a known complication. We present a case of a 41-year-old adult with neurofibromatosis type 1 who came with a right-sided spontaneous hemothorax due to a ruptured 13-mm fusiform aneurysm of the right posterior T9 intercostal artery. Patient underwent a transcatheter angiographic embolization with subsequent video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for a retained hemothorax. Patient was discharged home on Hospital Day 5, and follow-up imaging demonstrated a complete resolution of the hemothorax. This presented case contributes to literature by demonstrating intra-arterial embolization as a viable option to obtain hemostasis in fragile vessels. However, this may not always result in hemostasis, and VATS should be considered to achieve and ensure complete hemostasis.