Spontaneous intercostal artery bleeding occurring simultaneously in numerous vessels during antithrombotic therapy...

Intercostal artery bleeding often occurs in a single vessel; in rare cases, it can occur in numerous vessels, making it more difficult to manage.

A 63-year-old Japanese man was admitted to the emergency department owing to sudden chest and back pain, dizziness, and nausea. Emergency coronary angiography revealed myocardial infarction secondary to right coronary artery occlusion. After intra-aortic balloon pumping, percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in the right coronary artery. At 12 hours following percutaneous coronary intervention, the patient developed new-onset left anterior chest pain and hypotension. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed 15 sites of contrast extravasation within a massive left extrapleural hematoma. Emergency angiography revealed contrast leakage in the left 6th to 11th intercostal arteries; hence, transcatheter arterial embolization was performed. At 2 days after transcatheter arterial embolization, his blood pressure subsequently decreased, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed the re-enlargement of extrapleural hematoma with multiple sites of contrast extravasation. Emergency surgery was performed owing to persistent bleeding. No active arterial hemorrhage was observed intraoperatively. Bleeding was observed in various areas of the chest wall, and an oxidized cellulose membrane was applied following ablation and hemostasis. The postoperative course was uneventful.

We report a case of spontaneous intercostal artery bleeding occurring simultaneously in numerous vessels during antithrombotic therapy with mechanical circulatory support that was difficult to manage. As bleeding from numerous vessels may occur during antithrombotic therapy, even without trauma, appropriate treatments, such as transcatheter arterial embolization and surgery, should be selected in patients with such cases.