Chronic expanding hematoma: a late complication 45 years after thoracoplasty.

A chronic expanding hematoma is a hematoma with long term, continuous growth. A 69-year-old male presented with an extra-thoracic chronic expanding hematoma 45 years after thoracoplasty. Six months prior to his visit with us, he had noticed a slight swelling on his back. Three months before his visit with us, the size of the swollen area gradually increased after bowling. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an extra-thoracic lesion measuring 120 mm in diameter. Heterogeneous signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images inside the lesion was reflected as hematoma of various ages. The hematoma was successfully resected after preoperative embolization. Chronic expanding hematoma can be a delayed complication after thoracoplasty.