Massive pulmonary hemorrhage secondary to an acquired arteriovenous fistula is a rare event associated with high mortality. Cotton wads mounted on steel coils were inserted by percutaneous catheter and successfully occluded a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula in a patient who had massive hemoptysis and contraindications to thoracotomy.

A series of 15 patients with life threatening, massive hemoptysis is reported. Thirteen of these patients underwent immediate operative treatment with only three deaths. One died after bronchoscopic identification of the bleeding site while awaiting elective thoracotomy. The other patient left the hospital against medical advice. Immediate identification of the site of bleeding by bronchoscopy ...

Exsanguinating hemoptysis accompanied removal of an endobronchial foreign body in a 12-year-old child. Preparations to treat this complication should be made prior to removal of any foreign body of prolonged sojourn in the tracheobronchial tree.