Pulmonary emboli in young adults.

Case histories were examined of all in-patients at St. Thomas Hospital (London) 1954-1964 who were diagnosed as pulmonary emboli and who were under the age of 40. In 62 of 94 cases examined additional features were present which predisposed the individual to thromboembolic disease. The remaining 32 cases were idiopathic. None of the female patients had been taking oral contraceptives and it is suggested that reports linking thromboembolic disease to oral contraceptives may simply reflect the increased incidence of this disease among young people.(AUTHORS MODIFIED)