• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.543-546
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• 2005

Pulmonary embolism is a one of the major cause of postoperative death. Surgery predisposes patients to pulmonary embolism, even as late as one month after the operation. The accurate detection of pulmonary embolism remains difficult, and the differential diagnosis is extensive. The prevention of pulmonary embolism is thus of paramount importance. We report a case of pulmonary embolism after coverage of pressure sore on the left ischium on the 8th day after operation. The patient was 60 years old, a severe smoker, in the high quantity of body mass index and had hypertension. The risk factors are 60 years of age or older who were in the highest quantity of body mass index. Heavy cigarette smoking and high blood pressure are also identified as risk factors. Plastic surgeons should keep the probability of pulmonary embolism development after operation in mind. When taking history, the risk factors should be checked certainly. The immobilization may explain the probability of pulmonary embolism development. Therefore absolute bed rest or positional maintenance should be avoided. Until recently, low molecular weight heparin has been used for preoperative prophylaxis. Plastic surgeons should be concerned in low molecular weight heparin for prophylaxis of the pulmonary embolism and study the indications and effectiveness in liposuction or abdominoplasty.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.126-129
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• 2021

Fat embolism syndrome is a rare, but serious condition that occurs in patients with fractures of the long bones or who undergo orthopedic surgery. The main clinical features of fat embolism syndrome are an altered mental status, hypoxia, and petechial rash. Cerebral fat embolism is the most severe manifestation of fat embolism syndrome because it can lead to an altered mental status. The diagnosis of cerebral fat embolism is clinical, but brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) is helpful. There is usually an interval until symptoms, such as an altered mental status, develop after trauma. We report a case of cerebral fat embolism in which the patient's mental status deteriorated several hours after trauma and the initial findings were negative on diffusion-weighted MRI.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.201-204
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• 2014

Pulmonary embolism is a serious complication, which is well known in patients undergoing total hip or total knee arthroplasty or lower extremity fracture surgery. But, there are few literatures concerning pulmonary embolism after upper extremity surgery. Pulmonary embolism after minor upper extremity fracture surgery is extremely rare. We report a case of 66-year-old female patient that developed pulmonary embolism after percutaneous cannulated screw fixation for a greater tubercle fracture of the proximal humerus with literature review.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.103-106
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• 2018

Fat embolism refers to the presence of fat droplets within the peripheral and lung microcirculation with or without clinical sequelae. However, early diagnosis of fat embolism is very difficult because the embolism usually does not show at the computed tomography as a large fat complex within vessels. Forty-eight-year-old male with pedestrian traffic accident ransferred from a local hospital by helicopter to the regional trauma center by two flight surgeons on board. At the rendezvous point, he had suffered with dyspnea without any airway obstruction sign with 90% of oxygen saturation from pulse oximetry with giving 15 L of oxygen by a reserve bag mask. The patient was intubated at the rendezvous point. The secondary survey of the patient revealed multiple pelvic bone fracture with sacrum fracture, right femur shaft fracture and right tibia head fracture. Abdominal computed tomography was performed in 191 minutes after the injury and fat embolism with Hounsfield unit of -86 in his right common iliac vein was identified. Here is a very rare case that mass of fat embolism was shown within common iliac vein detected in computed tomography. Early detection of the fat embolus and early stabilization of the fractures are essential to the prevention of sequelae such as cerebral fat embolism.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.742-746
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• 1993

Recent literature reveals that pulmonary embolism secondary of pulmonary tumor embolism are dyspnea, hemoptysis, pulmonary hypertension, and circulatory collapse. We experienced a case of pulmonary embolism secondary to hepatocelluar cancer in 53-year-old man. From 2 months before admission, he began to experience cough and mild shortness of breath. Within a few days these symptoms progressed to near total incapacity. Pulmonary embolism was confirmed by angiography and the diagnosis of hepatocellular cancer was estabillished by abdomen CT and $\alpha$-FP(21,000 ng/ml). There was no evidence of intravascular cogulation elsewhere in deep vein of the extremities or risk factors of deep vein thrombosis. Thus we consider that pulmonary embolism in this patients is related to hepatocellular cancer rather than deep vein thrombosis. Therefore we report the first case which hepatocellular cancer initially presented as pulmonary embolism in Korean literature.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2018

Background Liposuction has become one of the most frequently performed procedures in the field of aesthetic surgery. Fat embolism syndrome after liposuction can easily be overlooked or underestimated; however, occasionally, fulminating fat embolism syndrome can develop and lead to a critical situation within 2-3 days after lipoplasty. Changes over time in the amount of circulating fat particles and the histology of major organs have not yet been studied. Methods This study was conducted using 18 male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 12 weeks and weighing 500-628 g (average, 562 g). Fifteen rats were used as the experimental group and 3 as the control group. Under general anesthesia, tumescent-technique liposuction was performed at the lateral flank areas and abdomen for 1 hour. Blood, lung, and brain tissue specimens were obtained at 1 hour, 1 day, and 2 days after the liposuction procedure. Results The average number of fat particles in the blood samples was 25,960/dL at 1 hour, 111,100/dL at 24 hours, and 21,780/dL at 48 hours. The differences between study groups were statistically significant. Both intravascular and extravascular fat particles with inflammation were seen in all 15 rats, as were inflammatory cell infiltration, hemorrhage, and consolidation with shrinkage of the lung alveoli. Conclusions These results imply that there is a strong possibility of fat embolism syndrome after liposuction in real clinical practice, and the first 24-48 hours after the operation were found to be the most important period for preventing pulmonary embolism and progression to fulminating fat embolism syndrome.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.34-37
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• 2020

Cerebral air embolism combined with cardiomyopathy secondary to pulmonary barotrauma is rare. Here, we report an unusual case of cerebral air embolism combined with transient cardiomyopathy secondary to large bulla rupture during a pulmonary function test after lung cancer surgery. The patient experienced loss of consciousness. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging suggested a cerebral air embolism. Electrocardiography showed ST-segment elevation and abnormally high plasma levels of cardiac enzymes. Echocardiography and coronary angiography suggested cardiomyopathy. The patient was discharged with no sequelae.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.63-75
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• 2022

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to examine the significance of Korean Medical literature on representative symptoms of postpartum deep venous thrombosis (DVT), such as lower extremity edema and pulmonary embolism. Methods : Pattern differentiation, cause, symptoms and treatment related to DVT and pulmonary embolism as written in Korean Medical texts were studied comparatively. Results : In Korean Medical understanding, DVT could be linked to lower extremity edema due to blood stagnation, while pulmonary embolism could be linked to coughing, asthma and nose bleed due to stagnated blood. Conclusions : To prevent relapse and manage its after-effects, Korean Medical treatment for DVT and pulmonary embolism is much in need.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.3
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• pp.328-331
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• 2012

A Septic embolism is a type of embolism infected with bacteria containing pus. These may become dangerous if dislodged from their original location. Embolisms of this type in the azygos vein are potentially fatal. The diagnosis of septic azygos vein embolism is difficult, so rapid diagnosis and treatment is important to avoid complications. Generally, treatment is enough for appropriate antibiotic therapy without anticoagulant therapy. We report a case of staphylococcal septic embolism in the azygos vein, which was discovered in a 51-year-old man exhibiting chest pain, dyspnea and fever. The patient was treated with antibiotic therapy alone without the use of anticoagulants.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.654-660
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• 1998

Pulmonary embolism is one of the moot common acute pulmonary disease in the adult general hospital population However, the disease is still frequently unsuspected and underdiagnosed due to the nonspecificity of both clinical findings and laboratory tests. The chest radiography in a patient suspected acute pulmonary embolism do not provide adequate information to establish or exclude the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Even in the case of infarction, there is no pathognomonic clues on the chest film. Rarely infarction presents unusual roentgenologic manifestation such as lobar consolidation, coin lesion, multinodular opacity, or massive pleural effusion Especially, lobar consolidation in pulmonary embolism might mislead into the diagnosis of pneumonia. We experienced a case of pulmonary embolism presenting lobar consolidation in a 62 years old woman, originated from deep vein thrombosis. She took a compression stocking and underwent anticoagulant therapy with excellent outcome.