A Very Unusual Cause of Hemoptysis

Abstract

The use of Lucite balls or spheres played a role in the management of tuberculosis during the first decade of the 20th century. Several complications have been reported with the use of this surgical technique, but are rarely seen nowadays. The availability of effective oral regimens has forced to abandon this approach. Calcification of these spheres within the lung cavity produced a series of late complications result of the migration of these foreign bodies to adjacent structures, causing erosion of blood vessels and nerves. Herein, we present a case where the aforementioned complication caused significant bleeding with hemodynamic instability. The source of the profuse hemoptysis was identified and was resolved with the combined use of noninvasive approaches such as bronchoscopy and angiographic embolization.

Keywords

tuberculosis - Lucite spheres - hemoptysis - embolization

Note

This is an original article presented for review and publication for advancement of medical education. It has not been submitted to any other journal. There are no financial interests tied to this original research, neither is there any other side support. The authors originally prepared all materials. The authors have contributed to, read, and approved the article. The authors have no conflicts of interest.

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