Recurrent pulmonary embolism: importance, diagnosis, management and prevention

Pulmonary emboli, even small, cause irreparable lung damage. Recurrent pulmonary emboli further increase the amount of non functional lung tissue and may result in incapacitating respiratory disease or death. It is therefore mandatory that the disease be correctly diagnosed and adequately treated. As prevention is better than cure, every patient presenting with clinical signs of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) should be correctly explored. The site and size of thrombosis must be visualized preferably with contrast venography with imaging of the veins of the limbs, iliac veins and vena cava. Risk factors such as obesity, immobilization etc. must be taken into account. Underlying disease such as heart disease and venous insufficiency must be treated. Malignancy must be looked for as in a recent series of patients with primary DVT which were studied, 15% presented with an up till then unknown malignant disease. In patients presenting with recurrent DVT this percentage rose to 20%. When a patient presents with DVT of the femoro-iliac vena cava axis, aggressive treatment must be adopted. Fibrinolysis or if this is contra-indicated, thrombectomy will be used. A vena cava filter may be necessary and longterm anticoagulation is mandatory. The same rationale is applicable in cases of pulmonary embolus whether it is a primary event or a recurrence.