A Report on a Case of the Elderly with Pulmonary Thromboembolism

• Published in: Nihon Rōnen Igakkai zasshi Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 611 - 615
• Main Authors: Nakano, Hiroshi, Minami, Masafumi, Takeuchi, Hiroshi, Nozaki, Takuji, Ooba, Kenzoh, Metori, Shouhei, Hannya, Hiroshi, Takada, Kazuko, Takano, Teruo, Honda, Kazuyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Geriatrics Society 1986
• Subjects: deep venous thrombosis; elderly patient; palpitation; pulmonary thromboembolism
• DOI: 10.3143/geriatrics.23.611
• ISSN: 0300-9173

An 86-year-old male showed transient palpitation when was under medical treatment for prostatic cancer, stage D2. The signs and laboratory findings were tachypnea, tachycardia, arterial hypoxia, abnormal electrocardiogram, mild right ventricular dilatation and mild pulmonary hypertension. Results of other laboratory examinations, such as the chest X-ray findings, serum enzymes and bilirubin determinations were within normal limits. Diagnosis was made on the basis of the typical defect in the picture of perfusion lung scans. The patient was treated with urokinase, followed by anticoagulant therapy with ticlopidine hydrochloride. He showed transient palpitation without any other clinical symptoms. The findings of the perfusion lung scans improved. Pulmonary thromboembolism is a relatively rare disease in Japan, and the symptoms are more nonspecific in old age. If a patient who has a risk of deep venous thrombosis of the thigh veins shows any acute nonspecific cardiopulmonary complaints, we must consider pulmonary thromboembolism.