TRAUMATIC FALSE ANEURYSM OF THE INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERY CAUSED BY A KNIFE ATTACK - A CASE-REPORT

The authors report the case of embolism by a false aneurysm of the int ernal mammary artery : a 57 years old woman with no previous medical h istory was admitted to the emergency unit with a kitchen knife stuck i n the 3rd left intercostal space. After withdrawing the knife, in the operating theatre, radiological controls revealed a blurred opacity in the left antero-superior mediastinum. The patient signed her own disc harge from hospital against medical advice on the 7th day. She was rea dmitted 10 months later for left retrosternal chest pains. Chest X ray demonstrated a rounded opacity in the antero-superior mediastinum. Co mputed tomography with injection of contrast confirmed the vascular na ture of the opacity. Arteriography in the aortic arch confirmed the di agnosis of false aneurysm of the left internal mammary artery. Selecti ve angiography of the internal mammary artery was undertaken and the a neurysm was embolised with coils. The clinical outcome was immediately improved with relief from the chest pains.