Abstract

LASTRA G, Giovani et al. Pulmonary tumour embolism: a diagnostic challenge. Rev. Colomb. Cardiol. [online]. 2019, vol.26, n.1, pp.32-32. ISSN 0120-5633.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rccar.2017.12.019.

The case is presented of a 27 year-old patient who was seen in the Emergency Department of the Hospital Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo, due to a clinical picture of a persistent dry cough that was later accompanied by dyspnoea, pleural pain, and haemoptysis, of approximately four months onset. She had a surgical history of liposculpture and abdominoplasty four months prior to the admission, and a hysterectomy a year ago (uterine haemorrhage).

Using clinical-pathological correlation, the diagnosis was made of a pulmonary embolism of tumour origin, a condition still difficult to diagnose given the unspecific clinical picture. Radiological studies are not accurate for the differential diagnosis, unless invasive procedures are used to reach an accurate diagnosis, as in the case of this patient.

As well as the case, a review is presented on pulmonary embolism and its other causes such as choriocarcinoma. Furthermore, relevant aspects are included on its incidence, clinical symptoms, treatment and prognosis, in a disease for which the majority of diagnoses continue to be delayed.

Keywords : Pulmonary embolism; Gestational trophoblastic disease; Choriocarcinoma; Endarterectomy; Chemotherapy.

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