TUMOR EMBOLISM AFTER PNEUMONECTOMY FOR PRIMARY PULMONARY NEOPLASIA

We report a case of tumor embolism of the lower right extremity after right pneumonectomy. This is an infrequent complication and in most ca ses occurs during the intraoperative or immediate postoperative period . Our patient underwent surgery for primary pulmonary neoplasia (squam ous cell carcinoma) and 4 hours later showed clinical signs of acute a rterial occlusion in the lower right extremity. An emergency embolecto my was performed and a thrombus with tumor characteristics was extract ed from the right common femoral artery. The pathologic features of th is thrombus were identical to those of the pulmonary tumor.