Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery repair of an idiopathic internal mammary artery aneurysm.

Abstract

A discussion of an internal mammary artery aneurysm is a rare finding in the literature. This condition can cause serious complications, including haemothorax and pneumo-haemothorax, and can lead to haemorrhagic shock; it can also be fatal. These effects can be explained by the rate of flow of the blood in the internal mammary artery, that is, 150 ml/minute, which leads to a blood loss of one litre in minutes. As reported in the literature, it has many different clinical presentations. Because an internal mammary artery aneurysm occurs so rarely, agreement regarding the best way to manage its treatment is rare. It can be discovered accidentally in imaging scans. The patient can present with chest pain, dyspnoea, or a mass in the chest wall, especially near the breast in women. We present a new management technique that, to the best of our knowledge, has not yet been described in the literature. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery could be used as a safe approach for managing such cases. It provides minimally invasive access and is less traumatic than open surgery. The procedure performed on our patient was uneventful. The artery was clipped, and the aneurysm was resected successfully. The total hospital stay was two days, and no complications occurred.