Massaging the outcome: an unusual presentation of pulmonary embolism

BMJ Case Rep. 2009:2009:bcr01.2009.1505. doi: 10.1136/bcr.01.2009.1505. Epub 2009 Jun 1.

Abstract

A 56-year-old man with a previous deep venous thrombus presented with dyspnoea after a leg massage. A transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated a "worm-shaped" right atrial embolus, most probably a femoral cast. A pulmonary artery angiogram confirmed a large wedge-shaped perfusion defect caused by a pulmonary embolus. There are previous case reports about leg massage causing pulmonary emboli but this is the first reported event where the thrombus has been visualised directly. Also, it demonstrates the important role that echocardiography plays in pulmonary embolus.