[Right Brachial Artery Thromboembolism After Left Upper Lobectomy]

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Thoracic Oncology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• A 71-year-old man with suspected prostate cancer metastasis underwent a CT scan.
• The scan incidentally detected a left upper lobe lung tumor, leading to referral for primary lung cancer treatment.

Observation:

• A left upper lobectomy was performed, revealing dense adhesions from prior tuberculosis.
• Postoperatively, the patient experienced sudden right arm numbness, diagnosed as brachial arterial thromboembolism via contrast-enhanced CT.

Findings:

• Embolectomy was performed for the arterial clot.
• Postoperative imaging identified an unusually long left upper pulmonary vein stump, suspected as the source of thrombus formation.

Implications:

• This case highlights a potential, albeit rare, complication of pulmonary vein stump length after lobectomy.
• Anticoagulation therapy was initiated, leading to an uneventful recovery and no thromboembolism recurrence.
• Awareness of this potential complication may guide surgical technique and postoperative management in similar cases.