Background/aim: We report on a case of pulmonary tumor embolism caused by squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.
Patients and methods: A 60-year-old female diagnosed with stage IVB (cT4N1M1) squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix was admitted to our institution with a chief complaint of progressive dyspnea that developed within a few days after admission.
Results: A chest CT scan showed dilated pulmonary arteries, right ventricular enlargement and mosaic ground-glass opacities in both lungs. An echocardiogram revealed elevated right ventricular pressure and a floppy mass in the right ventricle. Pulmonary tumor embolism was highly suspected. However, she died from respiratory failure on the fourth day after admission. Autopsy revealed diffuse tumor emboli in bilateral pulmonary arteries and arterioles.
Conclusion: Pulmonary tumor embolism should be considered when patients with malignant disease develop unexplained dyspnea, hypoxemia, and pulmonary hypertension.
Keywords: Pulmonary tumor embolism; autopsy; uterine cervical cancer.
Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.