Spontaneous arterial thrombosis with an advanced ovarian malignancy

Arterial thromboembolic disease almost always occurs in the setting of significant cardiovascular disease. Fewer than 10% of patients have no known etiology and only rarely is malignancy implicated. A review of the literature revealed only one prior report associated with a gynecologic malignancy, and this occurred in the lower extremities in a postoperative setting. We report here the case of a woman with arterial occlusion of her left upper extremity who was subsequently diagnosed as having ovarian adenocarcinoma. Her dramatic response to chemotherapy is described, and the diagnosis and management of arterial occlusion is reviewed.