Treatment of chronic expanding hematoma of the thorax with median sternotomy.

Chronic expanding hematoma of the thorax is a rare disease. We report a 60-year-old man with chronic expanding hematoma, which occupied the left entire hemithorax. Its hematoma was extirpated with pleuropneumonectomy. It was performed through posterolateral thoracotomy following median sternotomy, through which left hilar structure including inferior pulmonary vein could be accessed and closed. After the operation, he was discharged without any significant complications.