Bronchogenic cysts are the most common primary cysts of the mediastinum. Although most are asymptomatic, some bronchogenic cysts cause symptoms such as chest pain and dyspnea. Here, we report a case of bronchogenic cyst that ruptured twice in a short period of time in a patient who presented with sudden back pain. The lesion was apparent on computed tomography (CT) as a mass lesion with heterogeneous and high attenuation in the posterior mediastinal region. CT-guided puncture performed for diagnostic purposes revealed the contents as bloody fluid. The patient suffered chest pain approximately 3 months after the first presentation, and re-growth and re-rupture of the mass was suspected. The lesion was surgically resected and pathologically diagnosed as a bronchogenic cyst. Spontaneous rupture is a very rare complication of bronchogenic cyst, usually into the trachea, pleural cavity, or pericardial cavity. However, there are no reports of multiple ruptures. This case highlights the importance of recognizing the atypical imaging findings of bronchogenic cyst and the rare complication of rupture.
Keywords: Back pain; Bronchogenic cyst; Chest pain; Mediastinal cyst; Rupture.
© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.