Pulmonary Embolism Complicated by Acute Limb Ischemia Managed by Surgical Pulmonary Embolectomy

Cureus. 2021 Apr 20;13(4):e14598. doi: 10.7759/cureus.14598.

Abstract

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a manifestation of venous thromboembolic disease with potential serious and life-threatening complications. Management options for acute PE have drastically improved over the last 15 years with the introduction of multidisciplinary pulmonary embolism response teams throughout the world. We present the case of an 18-year-old woman diagnosed with acute PE complicated by near-complete occlusion of her left common femoral artery from a paradoxical embolus in the setting of patent foramen ovale (PFO), managed with surgical pulmonary embolectomy and surgical PFO repair.

Keywords: embolectomy; limb ischemia; patent foramen ovale; pulmonary embolism (pe); venous thromboembolism (vte).

Publication types

  • Case Reports