Pulmonary embolism in an adolescent soccer player: a case report

Pulmonary emboli are potentially life threatening and are rare in the young, healthy, athletic population. We describe the presentation of pulmonary emboli in an otherwise healthy athlete; this has not been reported previously in the literature. A 16-yr-old male soccer player with no apparent risk factors presented in distress with bilateral pulmonary emboli. An extensive workup did not reveal a cause for this phenomenon. The patient was anticoagulated, and a Greenfield inferior vena cava filter was placed because of recurrent symptoms and poor compliance with anticoagulation. This case report illustrates the importance of considering pulmonary embolism as a diagnosis in athletes who present with sudden onset of dyspnea with no discernable cause. Greenfield filter placement in the management of these cases remains controversial.