Treatment of Pulmonary Tumor Embolism from Choriocarcinoma: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as a Bridge through Chemotherapy.
- Author:
Jae Heun CHUNG
1
;
Hye Ju YEO
;
Hyun Myung CHO
;
Jin Ook JANG
;
Byung Min YE
;
Gun YOON
;
Dong Hoon SHIN
;
Dohyung KIM
;
Woo Hyun CHO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords: Choriocarcinoma; Pulmonary embolism; Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- MeSH: Choriocarcinoma*; Diagnosis, Differential; Drug Therapy*; Dyspnea; Embolectomy; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation*; Female; Hemodynamics; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating*; Pregnancy; Pulmonary Embolism; Shock; Shock, Cardiogenic; Tuberculosis; Young Adult
- From:Cancer Research and Treatment 2017;49(1):279-282
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: A 22-year-old woman with a 1-month history of shortness of breath that was treated as a case of tuberculosis and pulmonary embolism was referred to the authors’ hospital. Because of the hemodynamic instability in this patient, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was administered in the intensive care unit. She underwent a pulmonary embolectomy for the treatment of progressive circulatory collapse secondary to a pulmonary embolism. The histopathologic result was consistent with a metastatic choriocarcinoma. Despite the surgical management, persistent refractory cardiogenic shock occurred. Subsequently, the patient was treated with chemotherapy in the presence of ECMO and responded well to chemotherapy. She was discharged after 3 months. This case suggests that metastatic choriocarcinoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis in women of childbearing age presenting with a pulmonary embolism, and ECMO may be beneficial in patients with pulmonary embolism for bridging to surgical embolectomy and chemotherapy.
