Discussion
Diagnosis With Brief Discussion
- Diagnosis
- Pulmonary cement embolism after vertebroplasty
- Radiologic Findings
- Chest radiograph shows multiple linear or branching calcifications along the pulmonary vessels in both lungs.
Non-contrast chest CT scan shows multiple, round or branching calcifications along the pulmonary arteries in both lungs.
Enhanced chest CT scan shows low attenuated filling defect with high attenuated material within the infrahepatic IVC, suggesting IVC thrombosis with cement emboli.
Bone window image of L4 vertebral body shows venous leakage of the cement after vertebroplasty.
- Brief Review
- 1. Complication of vertebroplasty
1) Cement leak : up to 73%
2) Venous leak : up to 24%
3) Pulmonary cement embolism : up to 4.6%
4) Infection, temporary pain, allergic reactions and HBP
2. Pulmonary cement embolism
- Venous cement leak -> risk ↑
- Liquid consistency of PMMA
- Treatment of malignant lesion due to cortical destruction and higher vascularity
- Mostly asymptomatic, chest pain, dyspnea
- Radiographic findings: Multiple tubular or branching dense pulmonary opacities
- Treatment: in symptomatic patient, anticoagulation therapy to reduce risk of thrombus formation
- References
- Du Hwan Choe, Edith M. Marom, Kamran Ahrar, Mylene T. Truong, and John E. Madewell Pulmonary Embolism of Polymethyl Methacrylate During Percutaneous Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty Am. J. Roentgenol., 2004; 183: 1097 - 1102.
- Keywords
- Vascular, Lung, Embolic, Thromboembolic,