Bilateral Pulmonary Embolism in an Adolescent with Sickle Cell Disease and a Recent Total Hip Arthroplasty: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening but treatable condition. Factors such as hypercoagulability and recent lower extremity surgery are associated with a higher incidence of thrombus formation and pulmonary embolism. Patients with sickle cell disease have a baseline hypercoaguable state and are at a greater risk forming deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism than the general population. This increased risk is rarely cited in the literature. We describe a sickle cell patient two-weeks status-post total hip arthroplasty who presented with bilateral pulmonary embolism complaining of chest and shoulder pain. We highlight the need to include pulmonary embolism in the differential diagnosis of all sickle cell patients complaining of chest pain.