Intrapulmonary haematoma complicating mechanical ventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Intrapulmonary haematomas occurred during mechanical ventilation of two patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bullous dystrophy. In both cases, the haematomas were revealed by blood-stained aspirates, a fall in haemoglobin level, and the appearance of radiological opacities. Haematoma occurrence in the area of a bulla which recently has rapidly increased in size, suggests that the haematoma is due to the rupture of stretched vessels embedded in the wall of the bulla.