Natural History Statistics Older statistics estimate that in the United States, acute pulmonary thromboembolism afflicts 500 000 to 600 000 persons annually and is either a primary or secondary cause of death in 150 000 to 200 000 of these individuals.1,2 Extrapolation of a population-based study from data accumulated in 1985 through 1986 in Worcester, Mass, suggests that each year there are '1...

The current study describes the fibrinolytic treatment of a patient exhibiting an acute massive pulmonary thromboembolism, who was also receiving a bevacizumab-based combination regimen for metastatic colon cancer. The administration of bevacizumab has been associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolic events and bleeding in cancer patients. However, there is insufficient data rega...

Massive, recurrent haemoptyses requiring blood transfusions occurred in a patient who had been diagnosed as having pulmonary thromboembolism 3 months earlier. To the authors' knowledge this is the first case report of this kind, in which massive haemoptyses were proved to be caused by large bronchopulmonary collaterals that had developed in the infarcted lung segments affected by embolism. Sele...

The number of cancer patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) around the world has increased with recent improvements in cancer therapies. Cancer is now recognized as a chronic disease that is associated with possible acute decompensation caused by cardiovascular, respiratory or infectious disorders, which makes treating these patients challenging. Pulmonary thromboembolism is a common ...

The risk of massive pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) secondary to varicose vein surgery is very low. There are only two cases which have been reported regarding massive PTE occurring after varicose vein surgery. We herein present the case of a woman who had suffered from chest pain. A short period following her admission to the emergency department, she had cardiac arrest and was subsequently di...

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND As a concept, cor pulmonale was introduced over 200 years ago but the exact origin of the term is uncertain. Osler commented in the first edition of his text book that " hypertrophy of the right ventricle ... results from increased resistance in the pulmonary circulation, as in cirrhosis of the lung and emphysema". McGinn and white apparently were the first to use the term...