A case of massive hemoptysis related to a smoking-history: an acquired form of the Dieulafoy's disease?

ABSTRACT

The hypervascularization of the bronquial wall, secondary to chronic bronchopulmonary inflammation is a bleeding etiology in smokers, but insufficient to explain certain massive recurrent cases. We report a case of a woman with a smoking history who presented a recurrent and massive hemoptysis. A diagnostic study with laboratory tests, bronchoscopy, computed tomography and echocardiogram did not identify the etiological cause. However, bronchial arteriography showed right and left bronchial tortuous and dilated arteries and demonstrated that a bronchovascular fistula was the origin of the hemoptysis. An acquired form of the Dieulafoy's disease in this context of a smoking history might justify such findings. Bronchial arteriography as a diagnostic method should be the preferred choice rather than bronchoscopy in these cases.