Chest and cardiac imaging: Rasmussen aneurysm: practice question

A Radiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Radiology · Chest and cardiac imaging: Rasmussen aneurysm

Sample item

A man with long-standing cavitary tuberculosis has massive haemoptysis. CT angiography shows an enhancing outpouching in the wall of a cavity, supplied from a branch of the pulmonary artery. What is this lesion?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Rasmussen aneurysm

A Rasmussen aneurysm is a pseudoaneurysm of a pulmonary artery branch eroded by an adjacent tuberculous cavity, and rupture causes life-threatening haemoptysis. Bronchial artery hypertrophy is the commoner source of bleeding but is not an outpouching within the cavity wall. Treatment is by embolisation.

Option by option

  • A. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation

    A pulmonary AVM is a direct artery-to-vein connection, not a cavity-wall outpouching.

  • B. Aortic pseudoaneurysm

    An aortic pseudoaneurysm lies in the mediastinum, not in a cavity.

  • C. Bronchial artery hypertrophy

    Bronchial artery hypertrophy is enlarged vessels, not a focal aneurysm in the cavity wall.

  • D. Rasmussen aneurysm (correct)

    Correct. A cavity-wall pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm in TB is a Rasmussen aneurysm.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is D, Rasmussen aneurysm. A Rasmussen aneurysm is a pseudoaneurysm of a pulmonary artery branch eroded by an adjacent tuberculous cavity, and rupture causes life-threatening haemoptysis.

Why is "Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation" not the answer?

A pulmonary AVM is a direct artery-to-vein connection, not a cavity-wall outpouching.

Why is "Aortic pseudoaneurysm" not the answer?

An aortic pseudoaneurysm lies in the mediastinum, not in a cavity.

Why is "Bronchial artery hypertrophy" not the answer?

Bronchial artery hypertrophy is enlarged vessels, not a focal aneurysm in the cavity wall.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Chest and cardiac imaging: Rasmussen aneurysm in Radiology. Bronchial artery hypertrophy is the commoner source of bleeding but is not an outpouching within the cavity wall. Treatment is by embolisation.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Chest and cardiac imaging: Rasmussen aneurysm?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.