Ruptured left subclavian artery aneurysm presenting as upper airway obstruction in von Recklinghausen's disease

Aneurysms arising from the subclavian artery are very rare vascular abnormalities in von Recklinghausen's disease, which often have a silent clinical presentation and are difficult to diagnose before rupture. We report a case of von Recklinghausen's disease with life-threatening upper airway obstruction caused by spontaneous rupture of the left subclavian artery aneurysm in a 46-year-old woman. The diagnosis was eventually confirmed by a reconstructed enhanced computed tomography of aorta. We emphasise the importance of it as a differential diagnosis because life-threatening upper airway obstruction may develop in such patient.