[A rare cause of pulmonary embolism]

We report on a patient with acute dyspnea after several vertebral body interventions, among others a kyphoplasty, that was performed a few days earlier.

In the computed tomography we prove a bilateral pulmonary embolism (cement and thrombus). There is no right heart failure. A deep vein thrombosis can be excluded by color-coded vascular ultrasound.

The pulmonary embolism is due to bone cement. The cement material is also found paravertebral, intraspinal and intraneuroforaminal. By conservative treatment using therapeutic anticoagulation and analgesic medication, the patient showed a rapid clinical improvement.

In patients with cardiopulmonary symptoms after vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, pulmonary embolism due to bone cement should be considered as a possible cause. The therapy depends on the extent of the cement embolism and the symptoms of the patient.