Rasmussen's aneurysm

Rasmussen's aneurysm is a pulmonary artery aneurysm adjacent or within a tuberculous cavity. It occurs in up to 5% of patients with such lesions. It may lead to rupture and haemorrhage. It is named after Fritz Valdemar Rasmussen.

References

• van den Heuvel MM, van Rensburg JJ. (2006). "Rasmussen's aneurysm". New England Journal of Medicine 355 (16): e17. doi:10.1056/NEJMicm050783. PMID 17050883. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm050783.  (No subscription required to view page)

While the "classic" terminology relates the lesion to cavitary tuberculosis, the term is now used for the anatomic aneurysm associated with other destructive lung lesions. Even when the pulmonary aneurysm is present, the actual bronchial bleeding may be from the bronchial artery, rather than from the Pulmonary artery.