Table 1.
Reported cases of acute pulmonary embolism developed after pulmonary resections
| No | Year and Author | Sex | Age | Diagnosis of Embolism | Diagnosis | Types of operations | Onset of symptoms and signs of APE after operation | Diagnostic tools (Methods) |
Prophylaxis | Treatment | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | A | |||||||||||
| 1 | 2003 Kameyama et al.39) | F | 51 yr | √ | Adenocarcinoma of the lung | Left lower lobectomy | POD 5, chest pain, dyspnea, hypoxia and shock | Echocardiography | - | Intravenous heparin, r-TPA (Alteprase), Urokinase, Lastly Embolectomy and Omentopexy was performed | Discharged on 192nd day, No recurrence in 6 years follow up | |
| 2 | 2003 Kameyama et al.39) | F | 49 yr | √ | Adenocarcinoma of the lung | Right lower lobectomy | POD 1, sudden back pain, dyspnea and hypoxia | Echocardiography and Infused spiral CT | - | Intravenous heparin, r-TPA (Bolus infusion of alteprase), and Urokinase | Discharged on 28th day. Died due to recurrence of cancer 4 years later | |
| 3 | 2003 Kameyama et al.39) | M | 65 yr | √ | Adenocarcinoma of the lung | Left upper lobectomy | 3 h postoperation developed sudden chest pain, dyspnea and hypoxia | Echocardiography | Subcutaneous heparin 5000 iu on the day of operation | r-TPA (Bolus infusion of monteplase), and LMWH | Discharged on 118th day. No recurrence in 1.5 years | |
| 4 | 2004 Shundo et al.2) | F | 76 yr | √ | Adenocarcinoma of the lung | Left pneumonectomy | POD 4, sudden syncope, dyspnea finally cardiopulmonary arrest | Autopsy | - | - | Died 1 hour after symptoms developed | |
| 5 | 2005 Chujo et al.59) | F | 64 yr | √ | Adenocarcinoma of the lung (Bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma) | Left upper lobe wedge resection | POD 1, chest pain and dyspnea | CT and Venography | - | Urokinase and heparin sodium, also IVC filter | Discharged on 25th day with anticoagulant | |
| 6 | 2007 Kilic et al.60) | M | 57 yr | √ | Squamous cell carcinoma | Left pneumonectomy | POD 1, sudden chest pain, dyspnea, tachycardia and hypoxia | CT Angiography | - | LMWH (Nadroparin calcium) for 2 months | Discharged and no recurrence in a 1 year follow up | |
| 7 | 2009 Ishikawa et al.1) | F | 60 yr | √ | Adenocarcinoma of the lung | Right middle and lower lobectomy | POD 20, dyspnea | Autopsy | - | - | Sudden death on POD 22 | |
APE: acute pulmonary embolism; M: male; F: female; POD: postoperative day; r-TPA: recombinant tissue plasminogen activator; C: confirmed; A: autopsy; LMWH: low-molecular weight heparin; CT: computed tomography; IVC: inferior vena cava; yr: years