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Abstract
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) type IV is a hereditary autosomal dominant disease associated with skin and vascular fragility, hyperextensibility and joint hypermobility. Spontaneous arterial rupture is one of its higher-risk features.
The authors describe a case of a woman with EDS type IV who presented with a spontaneous breast haematoma associated with a pseudoaneurysm of a branch of the left internal mammary artery. The patient underwent a minimally invasive endovascular approach that was uneventful. However, 6 months later, she presented in the emergency room with a similar episode on the contralateral breast. There were no signs of active bleeding, and she stayed under surveillance. Nine months later, she was asymptomatic.
Aneurysms of branches of the internal mammary artery are rare and prone to rupture. Early diagnosis and treatment are imperative, and this case demonstrates that an endovascular approach is a safe treatment option.
- Obstetrics and gynaecology
- Medical management
- Connective tissue disease
- Interventional radiology
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Footnotes
Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms, and critical revision for important intellectual content: JM, VP. The following authors gave final approval of the manuscript: JM, VP, CA, ÂRR.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.