Rasmussen Aneurysm

 

Named after Fritz Valdemar Rasmussen, a Danish physician who described the association between pulmonary TB cavities and fatal hemoptysis in the 19th century.

Rasmussen aneurysm is a rare but life-threatening complication associated with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). It refers to a pseudoaneurysm (false aneurysm) that forms in a branch of the pulmonary artery, typically adjacent to or within a tuberculous cavity.

Feature	Description
Cause	Erosion of a pulmonary artery wall by a tuberculous cavity
Type	Pseudoaneurysm (wall made of fibrous tissue, not all normal vessel layers)
Location	Usually in upper lobes (where TB cavities are common)
Symptom	Massive hemoptysis (coughing up blood) – potentially fatal

                                                                               Snapshot