AUTHOR=Liu XinPei , Chu PeiShan , Miao Qi 

TITLE=Case report: Open-heart removal for a cement embolism formed 10 years ago in the right ventricle and pulmonary artery

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1221525

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2023.1221525

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=Bone cement embolism is a known complication of kyphoplasty operation. Cement embolisms without immediate fatal complication like cardiac perforation or hypoxemia were often stable during observation. We report a large volume bone cement embolism involving the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery system. The patient developed mild exertional short of breath and chest pain after a percutaneous kyphoplasty operation 10 years ago. However, her mild symptoms were attributed to multiple myeloma and no chest imaging was taken until the symptoms exacerbated after a COVID-19 infection 6 months ago. A large, tree-branch-shaped embolus was found, causing severe obstruction of the ascending and middle-lobe branch of the right pulmonary artery. Pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy demonstrated impared perfusion of the right upper and middle lobe. An open-heart removal was performed, and the symptoms were relieved afterwards. We report this case to highlight the importance of routine chest imaging after PKP operation, and to claim that open-heart removal for chronic cement pulmonary embolism is technically feasible and safe.