Bilateral Pulmonary Embolism With Right Heart Strain in a Patient With Immune Thrombocytopenia-A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with immune thrombocytopenia are at risk of both bleeding complications and venous thromboembolism. There is no standard to treating life-threatening pulmonary embolism in this population. This case illustrates the difficulty of treating significant thromboembolism in pediatric patients who have reduced clotting capacity. CASE: This case focuses on a 16-year-old pediatric patient with a history of immune thrombocytopenia presenting with mild chest discomfort and dyspnea on exertion. The d-dimer was mildly elevated, and the subsequent computed tomography angiogram revealed bilateral pulmonary embolisms with right ventricular strain. CONCLUSIONS: The patient underwent thromboembolectomy by interventional radiology with subsequent administration of intravenous immunoglobulin, high-dose steroids, and enoxaparin therapy. There is no standard of care for patients with life-threatening pulmonary embolism in this population. Several authors suggest medical therapy options, but do not include patients with potential hemodynamic instability.