title: Massaging the outcome: an unusual presentation of pulmonary embolism.
abstract: A 56-year-old man with a previous deep venous thrombus presented with dyspnoea after a leg massage. A transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated a "worm-shaped" right atrial embolus, most probably a femoral cast. A pulmonary artery angiogram confirmed a large wedge-shaped perfusion defect caused by a pulmonary embolus. There are previous case reports about leg massage causing pulmonary emboli but this is the first reported event where the thrombus has been visualised directly. Also, it demonstrates the important role that echocardiography plays in pulmonary embolus.
authors.affiliation: Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Mandeville Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP21 8AL, UK.
authors.forename: Danny Chin Guan
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Hari Kishan
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Jayanthi
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Money-Kyrle
authors.forename: Punit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramrakha