| ||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||

From the *Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea; and
Division of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, SoonchunHyang University, Cheon-an, Choongchungnamdo.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Seung Zhoo Yoon, MD, PhD., Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, #28 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea. Address e-mail to monday1031{at}yahoo.co.kr.
Abstract
Although percutaneous vertebroplasty is a simple and generally safe method for the management of vertebral compression fractures, cement leakage outside the vertebral body is a potential source of serious complications. We report a patient who presented with dyspnea and edema five years after percutaneous vertebroplasty and underwent open-heart surgery. This case demonstrates an intraatrial thrombus and pulmonary thromboembolism caused by venous leakage of polymethylmethacrylate as a late complication of the procedure.
|