Osteosarcoma emboli presenting as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in a child

Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2023 Feb;40(1):65-69. doi: 10.1080/08880018.2022.2053767. Epub 2022 Apr 23.

Abstract

A 13-year-old girl presented with hypoxemia during adjuvant chemotherapy for an osteosarcoma of the left distal femur. She underwent an amputation complicated by a post-operative pulmonary embolism (PE). Three months post-operatively, she was admitted to hospital with severe hypoxemia and diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension on echocardiogram in the context of extensive bilateral PE on computed tomography. She was planned for elective pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, but rapidly deteriorated requiring emergent surgery. At the time of surgery, she was found to have extensive tumor emboli throughout both pulmonary arteries. She recovered well post-operatively but died 2 months later from progressive disease.

Keywords: Endarterectomy; pulmonary embolism; pulmonary vascular resistance/hypertension; sarcoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bone Neoplasms*
  • Child
  • Chronic Disease
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary* / etiology
  • Osteosarcoma* / complications
  • Pulmonary Artery / surgery
  • Pulmonary Embolism* / diagnostic imaging
  • Pulmonary Embolism* / etiology