An 83-year-old female with worsening dyspnoea and bleeding from a cavernostomy.

CASE HISTORY An 83-yr-old female presented with a history of worsening dyspnoea. In 1952, the patient had undergone surgical treatment for progressive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) of the left-upper lobe. Treatment had consisted of an artificial pneumothorax and a cavernostomy via incision and drainage of a tuberculous cavity. Since surgery, the patient had cared for the cavernostomy herself by occasionally draining secretions using a plastic tube prescribed by a general practitioner. There had been no other post-surgical surveillance over almost 50 yrs. The patient had no history of smoking.