Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery repair of an idiopathic internal mammary artery aneurysm.

A discussion of an internal mammary artery aneurysm is a rare finding in the literature. This condition can cause serious complications, including haemothorax and pneumo-haemothorax, and can lead to haemorrhagic shock; it can also be fatal. These effects can be explained by the rate of flow of the blood in the internal mammary artery, that is, 150 ml/minute, which leads to a blood loss of one litre in minutes.