title: Case reports: polymethylmethacrylate lung embolus after limb-salvage surgery of the distal femur.
abstract: Limb-salvage surgery for malignant tumors frequently involves reconstruction with an endoprosthesis anchored to bone by using third-generation cementing techniques. A 10-year-old boy with osteosarcoma had a pulmonary embolus caused by polymethylmethacrylate after having limb-salvage surgery that used high-pressure cementing techniques. He experienced transient postoperative chest pain, and a new wedge-shaped radiodense pulmonary lesion appeared on a computed tomography scan of the chest. A thoracotomy for resection of suspected metastatic osteosarcoma revealed a pulmonary infarct caused by cement embolization. Awareness of this potential complication should prompt investigation of possible pulmonary embolism and may prevent unnecessary thoracotomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA. najat.daw@stjude.org
authors.forename: Najat C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Daw
authors.forename: Jesse J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: M Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: McCarville
authors.forename: Bhaskar N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Michael N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Neel
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005266:Femoral Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D023821:Limb Salvage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate