Author/Authors :
Kılıç, Talat İnonu University - Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Özal Medical Center - Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Turkey , Ermiş, Hilal Yeşilyurt State Hospital - Department of Pulmonar Medicine, Turkey , Kaya, Omar İnonu University - Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Özal Medical Center - Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Turkey , Alan, Hakan İnonu University - Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Özal Medical Center - Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Turkey
Abstract :
Knowing the risk factors of PE contributes to the promptness of diagnosis and treatment. Although most patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) have acquired or hereditary risk factors, the cause of PE is unknown in one-quarter of patients. We describe a 66-year-old man who presented with chest pain, dyspnea, and hemoptysis one day after he had a colonoscopy performed due to chronic constipation complaints. The computed tomography pulmonary angiography revealed thrombus in the left peripheral pulmonary artery. He did not have any risk factors for PE, and a hypercoagulable workup was normal. Because of his development of PE one day after his colonoscopy and the absence of any risk factors, the colonoscopy could have caused the PE. PE may be caused by increased intra-abdominal pressure during this procedure. This is the first case of PE following a colonoscopy in the literature. We recommend that patients with idiopathic PE should be questioned aspect of invasive procedures such as colonoscopy.
