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Published on: October 17, 2019
Fatal pulmonary cement embolism following percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP)
F Monticelli1, H J Meyer, E Tutsch-Bauer
1Institute of Forensic Medicine, Salzburg University, Ignaz Harrer Str. 79, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. fabio.monticelli@sbg.ac.at
Abstract:
A case of fatal pulmonary embolism with acrylic cement occuring during a percutaneous vertebroplasty on account of a fracture of L1 is described. Autopsy confirmed the presence of large amounts of surgical cement in the paravertebral venous system and in the pulmonary arteries. This rare complication occurred because perivertebral venous cement migration was not recognized during vertebroplasty. To our knowledge, this is the first case of fatal pulmonary embolism caused by surgical cement following a percutaneous vertebroplasty.
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