NONTHROMBOTIC PULMONARY ARTERY EMBOLISM IN AN ELDERLY PATIENT: HYDATID CYST

A pulmonary artery embolism related to hydatid disease is extremely rare. Although isolated cases have been reported, it is usually due to a hepatic lesion invading the hepatic veins or inferior vena cava, or a direct embolism from right cardiac lesions. Patients may present with hemoptysis, dyspnea, chest pain, acute cor pulmonale, or sudden death. The diagnosis is made from a medical history, clinical findings and computed tomography imaging. The computed tomography shows single or multiple cystic lesions leading to a filling defect or obstruction in the pulmonary arteries. In this article we present a 76-year-old woman with multiple lung lesions and a bilateral pulmonary artery embolism. In this case the pulmonary artery embolism was considered to be secondary to the invasion of the inferior vena cava by the liver lesion.