title: [Pulmonary embolism of paraneoplastic origin].
abstract: Thromboembolic disease (TE) is an important cause of in-hospital morbidity and mortality. The relationship between cancer and abnormalities of blood coagulation has been recognized for well over a century. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities is the most common cause of thromboembolic disease, but pulmonary embolism, upper extremity vein thrombosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and other, more unusual, clinical events, may occur. Unexplained TE may serve as a marker for the presence of a hidden tumor. The frequency of pulmonary embolism (PE) among patients with a malignant neoplasm at necropsy is highly increased in the elderly patients. Among subjects with a malignant neoplasm, patients with pancreatic and gastric cancer (mucin-secreting adenocarcinomas), cancer of the large bowel and women with ovarian cancer had the highest frequency of PE. Old age, female sex, gastrointestinal and ovarian cancers must be considered as a significant risk factor for PE. The potentially responsible mechanisms for the thrombotic events, clinical manifestations, diagnostic implications and aspects of treatment of TE in malignant disease are discussed.
authors.affiliation: I Divisione di Medicina Generale, Ospedale di Cattinara, Trieste.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cafagna
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ponte
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D013577:Syndrome; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000150:complications; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight
vernacular_title: L'embolia polmonare da causa paraneoplastica.