title: Death from pulmonary embolism of cyanoacrylate glue following gastric varix endoscopic injection.
abstract: We present the case of a 25 year old woman with a complex past medical history including Crigler-Najjar syndrome (Type 1) with a liver transplant in 1993 and subsequent development of cirrhosis with portal hypertension in the transplanted liver. The deceased presented to hospital with hematemesis and investigations showed a large gastric varix. The varix was injected with cyanoacrylate glue. Within 30 min of injection the patient became acutely hypoxic. Urgent chest X-ray demonstrated radio opaque glue within the pulmonary arteries. It was evident that future treatment was futile and supportive treatment was withdrawn. The deceased was referred for medico legal post mortem examination. The post mortem CT scan performed prior to autopsy showed widespread radio-opaque material within the pulmonary arteries. At autopsy, rubbery grey/tan "clot" occluded the major proximal and segmental pulmonary arteries. Microscopic examination of the "clot" showed clumps of erythrocytes surrounded by foreign material. We discuss this relatively uncommon but well recognized complication of variceal injection with cyanoacrylate glue.
authors.affiliation: Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006, Australia. michaelb@vifm.org.|Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. michaelb@vifm.org.
authors.forename: Michael Philip
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006, Australia.|Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.affiliation: Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006, Australia.|Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Yeliena
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003487:Cyanoacrylates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000628:therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D003487:Cyanoacrylates; D014014:Tissue Adhesives
keywords: Cyanoacrylate; Glue; Pulmonary embolism