Fig. 5
From: Imaging of urgencies and emergencies in the lung cancer patient
Massive haemoptysis and fatal air embolism in a 68-year-old woman with a cavernous lung lesion. a Anteroposterior chest radiograph, performed for inflammatory changes on blood tests and tachypnea, shows a giant cavitated consolidation in the right upper lobe. b Axial contrast-enhanced chest CT image confirmed a large ill-defined mass with central cavitation (yellow asterisks). Immediately following the CT, the patient developed massive haemoptysis in the radiology department necessitating intubation and ventilation. c Axial-contrast enhanced CT image of the chest after haemodynamic stabilisation shows a large amount of high-density fluid, compatible with blood (yellow arrow), in the cavern and the tracheobronchial tree. In addition, there was massive subcutaneous emphysema, a large amount of air in the vascular system and heart. Upon completion of the scan a fatal cardiac arrest ensued. Histopathology of the post-mortem examination confirmed a stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (poorly differentiated carcinoma)