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Pulmonary tumor embolization after peritoneovenous shunting for malignant ascites
Author(s) -
Fildes John,
Narvaez Guillermo P.,
Baig Khaled A.,
Pai Narayan,
Gerst Paul H.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19880515)61:10<1973::aid-cncr2820611007>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - medicine , peritoneovenous shunt , ascites , shunting , embolization , surgery , shunt (medical) , pulmonary artery , radiology
An 85‐year‐old woman with intractable malignant ascites secondary to ovarian carcinoma underwent peritoneovenous shunting (Denver shunt) in an attempt to alleviate the ascites. Implantation of the shunt resulted in massive embolization of tumor cells to the pulmonary vasculature. Postoperatively, she developed increasing hypoxia with progressive rises in pulmonary artery pressure, and died 48 hours after surgery as a result of occlusion of the pulmonary vascular bed by tumor emboli. This is the sixth reported instance of massive tumor embolization to the pulmonary circulation in patients with peritoneovenous shunting for malignant ascites.