Key result
Pulmonary thromboembolism was diagnosed in a 42-year-old male presenting with acute right flank and lower abdominal pain, highlighting the need to consider PTE in patients with VTE risk factors.
Case Report (n=1)
Pulmonary thromboembolism should be considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in patients with VTE risk factors.
May support including PTE in VTE-risk patients' abdominal pain differentials; leaves open need for prospective validation.
BACKGROUND: Abdominal pain is rarely reported as the presenting complaint of pulmonary thromboembolism. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 42 year old white male with no known past medical problems except a left humeral fracture two weeks prior who presented to the emergency department with acute onset of right flank and lower abdominal pain. Initial evaluation including abdominal CT suggested cholecystitis. Lack of improvement with empiric antibiotics and symptomatic therapy prompted further evaluation revealing the patient to have a pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) can be effectively treated once diagnosed. Abdominal pain as a presenting complaint in PTE is rarely reported as a cause of PTE. We believe that clinicians should consider PTE in their differential of abdominal pain in patients with risk factors for VTE.
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Mansmann et al. (2012) conducted a case report in Pulmonary thromboembolism (n=1). Pulmonary thromboembolism was diagnosed in a 42-year-old male presenting with acute right flank and lower abdominal pain, highlighting the need to consider PTE in patients with VTE risk factors.
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