Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism, abbreviated PE, is often on the differential in autopsies, as it is not easy to diagnose clinically. Pulmonary embolism is a non-specific term; it may refer to a number of things, including:
- Pulmonary venous thromboembolism.
- Pulmonary fat embolism.
- Pulmonary foreign body embolism.
- Pulmonary septic embolism.
PE usually refers to pulmonary venous thromboembolism, abbreviated VTE, if not otherwise specified.
Clinical
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea) - classic symptom.
- Tachycardia.
- Chest pain.
- Findings associated with deep vein thrombosis
- Leg pain.
- Leg swelling.
Notes:
- Venous thrombosis OR~=12 for PE.[1]
Risks factors (VTE)
- Trauma.
- Immobility.
- Pregnancy.
- Medications (e.g. OCPs).
- Hypercoagulable states (memory device CALMSHAPES):[2]
- Protein C deficiency.
- Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA).
- Leiden factor V deficiency.
- Malignancy.
- Protein S deficiency.
- Homocystinemia.
- Antithrombin deficiency.
- Prothrombin G20210A.
- Excess factor VIII.
- Sticky platelet syndrome.
Gross (VTE)
Features:
- Intravascular spagetti with cream sauce.
- Leg swelling.
- Lines of Zahn.[3]
- Pale layers consisting of platelets and fibrin alternating with layers of RBCs; components layer during blood flow.
Notes:
- Post-mortem thrombi: one (superior) yellow portion (called "chicken fat") and one (dependent) red portion (RBCs); components layer due to gravity.
Pre- and post-mortem clots
| Feature/time | Pre-mortem | Post-mortem |
| Shininess | dull | shiny |
| Adherent to wall | yes | no |
| Colour | grey | dark purple or bilayered red/yellow |
| Pressurized | yes; ejects itself |
no; needs to be pulled-out |
| Image | gross (pathguy.com) | micro. (oxfordjournals.org), coronary thrombus - gross (luc.edu)[4] |
Microscopic (VTE)
Features:
- Layers consisting of platelets and fibrin alternating with layers of RBCs; Lines of Zahn.[3]
Images:
See also
References
- ↑ Reissig A, Haase U, Schulze E, Lehmann T, Kroegel C (July 2010). "[Diagnosis and therapy of pulmonary embolism prior to death]" (in German). Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. 135 (30): 1477–83. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1262435. PMID 20648405.
- ↑ URL: http://archinte.highwire.org/cgi/content/full/161/20/2433. Accessed on: 15 September 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kumar, Vinay; Abbas, Abul K.; Fausto, Nelson; Aster, Jon (2009). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (8th ed.). Elsevier Saunders. pp. 124. ISBN 978-1416031215.
- ↑ URL: http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/meded/mech/cases/case1/list.htm. Accessed on 8 October 2010.