INTRAPLEURAL RUPTURE OF A PULMONARY ARTERIOVENOUS-FISTULA OCCURRING JUST BENEATH THE PLEURA - REPORT OF A CASE

We report herein a rare case of a 21-year-old man with Rendu-Osler-Web er disease, otherwise known as hemorrhagic teleangiectasia, in whom a spontaneous hemothorax occurred following the rupture of one of multip le pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae (PAVF). An emergency life-saving o peration was performed which revealed the ruptured fistula lying just beneath the visceral pleura. This case demonstrates that patients in w hom a pulmonary angiogram shows an arteriovenous fistula lying just be neath the visceral pleura should undergo prophylactic surgery to avoid a life-threatening emergency, whenever possible.