Disseminated microvascular pulmonary tumor cell embolism: a rare cause of fulminant pulmonary hypertension.
BACKGROUND
Disseminated pulmonary tumor embolization is a rare cause of pulmonary hypertension and is often diagnosed only after the patient has died.


METHODS
We report on a 41-year-old male who was admitted because of severe dyspnea and tachycardia. Contrast enhanced spiral computed tomography did neither establish pulmonary thromboembolism nor pulmonary metastasis. Right heart catheterization revealed severe pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) 678 dyn x sec x cm(-5)). PVR did not respond to therapy with intravenous nitrate or inhaled iloprost in this critically ill patient. 2 days after admission, the patient died because of refractory right heart failure. Autopsy revealed microscopic pulmonary tumor embolism due to a metastasizing adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.


CONCLUSIONS
Disseminated tumor cell embolism should be considered as a rare differential diagnosis in patients with refractory pulmonary hypertension.
Steiner
S
S
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Pneumology and Angiology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany. Steinest@uni-duesseldorf.de
Plehn
G
G
Reinecke
P
P
Cohnen
M
M
Schwartzkopff
B
B
Hennersdorf
M G
MG
Strauer
B E
BE
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D035583:Rare Diseases; D012720:Severity of Illness Index