title: Release of the inferior vena cava ligament during caval thrombectomy causing tumor thrombus embolization.
abstract: Intraoperative tumor embolization is a rare complication during the surgical management of renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava (IVC). We present a case of pulmonary tumor embolism which occurred during liver mobilization immediately following division of the IVC ligament. We hypothesize that this patient's IVC ligament acted as an external barrier to propagation of the tumor thrombus and that its release caused the tumor to rapidly expand leading to embolization. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pulmonary tumor embolism occurring immediately following division of the IVC ligament.
authors: Miami Transplant Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
authors: Shivam
authors: S
authors: Joshi
authors: Michael A
authors: MA
authors: Gorin
authors: Gaetano
authors: G
authors: Ciancio
mesh_terms: D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017128:Embolectomy; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008022:Ligaments / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017131:Thrombectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*