Spontaneous hemothorax due to ruptured pulmonary infarction after anticoagulation with enoxaparin: A case report

Abstract

Pulmonary thromboembolism remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Embolic obstruction of pulmonary vasculature may result in pulmonary hemorrhage but usually does not cause pulmonary infarction. Pulmonary infarction may occur only 10 % of pulmonary emboli but, the rupture of pulmonary infarction is a very rare condition in the chest diseases clinics. In the literature only a few case reports have been published. We report here spontaneous hemothorax that thought to be occurred due to ruptured pulmonary infarction in a case of pulmonary thromboembolism anticoagulated with enoxaparin (1mg/kg, bid, SC). The patient was successfully managed with discontinuation of anticoagulation, blood and plasma transfusions, chest tube drainage for evacuation of blood from the pleural space.