Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Revealed by Haemoptysis on a 10-Year-Old Girl at Paediatrics Department of Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital

Thoracic aortic aneurysm is a rather rare disorder in children and difficult to diagnose. It is generally linked to congenital heart defects or connective-tissue diseases. Our case is a 10-year-old girl admitted in the pediatric emergency care unit on January 19th, 2015 for massive haemoptysis and severe anaemia. Examination revealed severe anemia and a silent left lung. The Chest X-Ray revealed an abnormal mass on the upper left side of the mediastinum, and left lower lobe consolidation. The thoracic CT scan highlighted a 64 mm aneurysm of the subisthmic aorta with a thin 5 mm hole. It also showed pseudocoarctation of the aorta. Treatment in intensive care consisted of blood transfusion and iron supplement. She was due to travel abroad for cardio vascular surgery, but died on November 2016. Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm in our setting was discovered incidentally. In spite the fact that it is an extreme surgical emergency, in Burkina Faso, treatment can only be possible abroad upon medical evacuation.

Alarming Presentation of a Seemingly Common Condition in a Patient with Renal Impairment

We received a 23-year-old male, working in the Army for 18 months, with advanced renal impairment, haemoptysis and hyperkalemia. An impression of the pulmonary renal syndrome was made and he was managed aggressively with haemodialysis, plasma exchange and pulsing with methyl prednisolone. His condition improved, but the renal functions did not. The vasculitic workup including Extractable Nuclear Antigen (ENA) and Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) which were sent on admission came out to be negative. As he apparently responded to the initial management protocol, he was subjected to renal biopsy which did not reveal any vasculitis but was consistent for end-stage renal disease. Subsequently he was subjected to lung biopsy which also was not supportive for vasculitis. However, we concluded that the initial pointers for Wegener’s granulomatosis were misleading. The haemoptysis entirely subsided as the congestion improved. He was maintained on Haemodialysis three times per week schedule and discharged to the peripheral health care facility.

Cavitary Pulmonary Infarction Mimicking Koch’s Disease

Pulmonary infarction (PI), defined as localized destruction (necrosis) of lung tissue due to obstruction of the arterial blood supply by an embolus, is a rare condition because of the dual blood supply of the lungs. It occurs more in elderly patients who typically have associated co-morbidities, such as chronic heart and lung disease, which affect blood circulation. Pulmonary infarction may present with chest pain, fast breathing, blood tinged cough and fever, resembling more common conditions such as bacterial pneumonia and tuberculosis. High index of suspicion is required for early diagnosis of this condition as mortality from this condition can be as high as 70%. We present a case of cavitary pulmonary infarction in a middle-aged female with no major risk factors for pulmonary embolism who was initially managed as a case of pulmonary tuberculosis. The clinical presentation, pathogenesis, imaging findings and management of PI have also been discussed. The purpose of this report is to increase the awareness of this less common condition among clinicians and highlight the radiologic differences between PI and the more common inflammatory diseases of the lung.