Difference between revisions of "Pulmonary embolism"

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*Pregnancy.
*Pregnancy.
*Medications (e.g. OCPs).
*Medications (e.g. OCPs).
*Hypercoagulable states (memory device ''CALMSHAPES''):<ref>URL: [http://archinte.highwire.org/cgi/content/full/161/20/2433 http://archinte.highwire.org/cgi/content/full/161/20/2433]. Accessed on: 15 September 2010.</ref>
*Hypercoagulable states (memory device ''CALM SHAPES''):<ref name=pmid11700155>{{cite journal |author=Thomas RH |title=Hypercoagulability syndromes |journal=Arch. Intern. Med. |volume=161 |issue=20 |pages=2433–9 |year=2001 |month=November |pmid=11700155 |doi= |url=http://archinte.highwire.org/cgi/content/full/161/20/2433}}</ref>
**Protein C deficiency.
**Protein C deficiency.
**Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA).
**Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA).
Line 30: Line 30:
**Protein S deficiency.
**Protein S deficiency.
**Homocystinemia.
**Homocystinemia.
**Antithrombin deficiency.
**Antithrombin III deficiency.
**Prothrombin G20210A.
**Prothrombin G20210A.
**Excess factor VIII.  
**Excess factor VIII.  

Revision as of 21:03, 23 October 2010

Pulmonary embolism, abbreviated PE, is often on the differential in autopsies, as it is not easy to diagnose clinically. Pulmonary embolism is a non-specific term; it may refer to a number of things, including:

  • Pulmonary venous thromboembolism.
  • Pulmonary fat embolism.
  • Pulmonary foreign body embolism.
  • Pulmonary septic embolism.

PE usually refers to pulmonary venous thromboembolism, abbreviated VTE, if not otherwise specified.

Clinical

  • Shortness of breath (dyspnea) - classic symptom.
  • Tachycardia.
  • Chest pain.
  • Findings associated with deep vein thrombosis
    • Leg pain.
    • Leg swelling.

Notes:

  • Venous thrombosis OR~=12 for PE.[1]

Risks factors (VTE)

  • Trauma.
  • Immobility.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Medications (e.g. OCPs).
  • Hypercoagulable states (memory device CALM SHAPES):[2]
    • Protein C deficiency.
    • Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA).
    • Leiden factor V deficiency.
    • Malignancy.
    • Protein S deficiency.
    • Homocystinemia.
    • Antithrombin III deficiency.
    • Prothrombin G20210A.
    • Excess factor VIII.
    • Sticky platelet syndrome.

Gross (VTE)

Features:

  • Intravascular spaghetti (multiple cylindrical clots - from smaller vessels) with cream sauce (gray fibrin).
  • Leg swelling.
  • Lines of Zahn.[3]
    • Pale layers consisting of platelets and fibrin alternating with layers of RBCs; components layer during blood flow.

Notes:

  • Post-mortem thrombi: one (superior) yellow portion (called "chicken fat") and one (dependent) red portion (RBCs); components layer due to gravity.

Pre- and post-mortem clots

Feature/time Pre-mortem Post-mortem
Shininess dull shiny
Adherent to wall yes no
Colour gray dark purple or
bilayered red/yellow
Pressurized yes; "ejects itself" from lumen no; needs to be pulled-out
Consistency
-elastic modulus (E)
-fracture toughness (K)
firm (high E)
brittle (low K)
jello (low E)
elastic (high K)
Image - gross thrombus (pathguy.com),
thrombus (thrombosisadviser.com)
coronary thrombus (luc.edu)[4]
Image - micro. pre- & post-mortem (elsevier.es)[5] thrombus (oxfordjournals.org),
thrombi (ucsf.edu)

Microscopic (VTE)

Features:

  • Layers consisting of platelets and fibrin alternating with layers of RBCs; Lines of Zahn.[3]

Images:

See also

References

  1. Reissig A, Haase U, Schulze E, Lehmann T, Kroegel C (July 2010). "[Diagnosis and therapy of pulmonary embolism prior to death]" (in German). Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. 135 (30): 1477–83. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1262435. PMID 20648405.
  2. Thomas RH (November 2001). "Hypercoagulability syndromes". Arch. Intern. Med. 161 (20): 2433–9. PMID 11700155. http://archinte.highwire.org/cgi/content/full/161/20/2433.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Kumar, Vinay; Abbas, Abul K.; Fausto, Nelson; Aster, Jon (2009). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (8th ed.). Elsevier Saunders. pp. 124. ISBN 978-1416031215.
  4. URL: http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/meded/mech/cases/case1/list.htm. Accessed on 8 October 2010.
  5. URL: http://www.elsevier.es/cardio_eng/ctl_servlet?_f=40&ident=13142654. Accessed on: 8 October 2010.