Prevention of fatal pulmonary embolism in a patient with stomach cancer

A clinical case of a 71-year old patient with stomach cancer and concomitant lower extremity deep venous thrombosis diagnosed before the surgical treatment is presented. The patient was administered anticoagulants, and despite the treatment, a diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis with high risk for thromboembolism was set up. Considering high risk for pulmonary embolism, an inferior vena cava filter was implanted in infrarenal part of inferior vena cava at the first stage. On the second day after the cancer surgery (subtotal stomach resection with lymphadenectomy), clot detachment and its dislocation from the left common femoral vein to the area where the cava filter was implanted with further fixation were diagnosed. Accurate diagnosis of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis with high risk for thromboembolism set up by ultrasonography and timely inferior vena cava filter implantation saved the patient with cancer from developing pulmonary embolism.

lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stomach cancer, cava filter, lower extremity deep vein ultrasonography