Pulmonary tumor embolisms (PTEs) are primarily caused by adenocarcinoma. However, only a few cases of oropharyngeal carcinoma have been reported. We herein report a 47-year-old man who presented with a fever, cough, and dyspnea 6 months after treatment for stage II oropharyngeal carcinoma. Chest computed tomography revealed centrilobular granular and nodular shadows and subpleural consolidation. A transbronchial lung biopsy revealed a mass of squamous tumor cells forming emboli in the small vessels, resulting in the diagnosis of PTE due to oropharyngeal carcinoma. Therefore, PTE should be considered for patients with a history of hypoxia.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of endocrine disorders among females of reproductive age and is linked with autoimmune disorders. PCOS has been associated with autoantibodies such as antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-thyroid, and anti-Smith (anti-SM). Young patients with PCOS and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have up to a 10-fold increase in stroke. We present a case of a patient with a history of PCOS (on metformin), hypothyroidism, and pulmonary embolism who presented to the emergency room with acute left-sided weakness. She was extensively investigated for risk factors and was eventually diagnosed with a cerebrovascular accident secondary to possible SLE with positive ANA (1:160, nuclear homogenous pattern). The diagnosis of PCOS, coupled with autoantibodies and recurring episodes of thromboembolic events, rendered her case management complex. She received tenecteplase and had thrombectomy done twice because of recurrent thrombotic events during her hospital stay. She passed away on the fifth day post-thrombectomy from a possible massive pulmonary embolism with hemodynamic compromise. There is a need for more research to comprehend the underlying mechanisms of SLE and PCOS to guide the proper management of patients in this situation.

We present the case of a 75-year-old female in which a pulmonary tumor embolism was detected incidentally on a prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography-computed tomography restaging scan. This occurred on the background of renal cell carcinoma in remission with pazopanib systemic therapy and a right nephrectomy 4 years prior. An avidity to prostate-specific membrane antigen in the superior lingula of the left upper lobe of the lung coupled with contrast-enhanced computed tomography findings found the lesion to be a tumor thrombus. This case serves to highlight the effectiveness of incorporating contrast-enhanced computed tomography with prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography and to consider the rare diagnosis of a pulmonary tumor embolism.

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Pulmonary tumor embolism (PTE) is difficult to diagnose before death. We report the case of a 75-year-old man with microscopic PTE of renal cell carcinoma who was diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy. He visited our hospital because of dyspnea on exertion. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed multiple micronodules and ground glass opacities. Steroid therapy was started as therapeutic diagnosis for IgG4-related pulmonary disease. However, he was admitted our hospital due to progressive respiratory failure. Pathological findings of a lung biopsy obtained by video-assisted thoracic surgery showed PTE of renal cell carcinoma without embolization of large pulmonary arteries. He received palliative medicine and died four months after the surgical lung biopsy. In cases of multiple micronodules in chest CT findings and worsened respiratory symptoms, PTE should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Pulmonary tumor embolism (PTE) and pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) are rare etiologies for rapidly progressive dyspnea in the setting of undiagnosed metastatic cancer. They occur most frequently in association with adenocarcinomas, with PTE being most frequently associated with hepatocellular carcinoma and PTTM being most commonly reported with gastric adenocarcinoma. Pulmonary tumor embolism and PTTM appear to be a disease spectrum where PTTM represents an advanced form of PTE. Pulmonary tumor embolism and PTTM are mostly identified postmortem during autopsy as the antemortem diagnosis remains a clinical challenge due to the rapidly progressive nature of these rare diseases. We report 2 cases of rapidly progressive respiratory failure leading to death, due to tumoral pulmonary hypertension resulting from PTE and PTTM, diagnosed postmortem. Both of the patients were middle-aged females, nonsmokers, and had a gastrointestinal source of their primary malignancy.

A 74-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on home oxygen and coronary artery disease was transferred from an outside facility to obtain an inguinal lymph node biopsy to rule out malignancy. He underwent an uncomplicated procedure and was discharged the same day. While waiting for transportation, he had sudden-onset dyspnea and collapsed. After resuscitation, patient had return of spontaneous circulation and was admitted but was provided comfort care and soon expired. Autopsy showed metastatic squamous cell carcinoma with multiple bilateral tumor emboli. Pulmonary tumor embolism is a rare cause of dyspnea in cancer population. Most of the cases are diagnosed with autopsy after sudden death; however, few cases have been reported antemortem. Tumor embolism is rare and difficult to diagnose without an autopsy with a poor outcome.

We describe a case of pulmonary tumor embolism (PTE) from breast cancer diagnosed by selective aspiration cytology using a Swan-Ganz catheter. A 60-year-old woman was referred to Hamanomachi Hospital because of increased levels of tumor markers. The patient complained only of slight exertional dyspnea and a dry cough. Due to breast cancer, she had undergone a mastectomy followed by radiation and chemotherapy one year earlier. Positron emission tomography scanning with CT images revealed no evidence of malignancy. Repeated chest CT images showed emerging wedge-shaped nodules in the subpleural zones of the left lower lobe with diffuse ground-glass opacities in the bilateral lower lobes. The D-dimer level was negative. Pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy showed multiple small wedge-shaped defect areas on the peripheral sides of the bilateral lungs. Suspecting PTE, we performed selective aspiration cytology from the left pulmonary arteries. Cancer cells were detected from selected branches of left A8 and A9. Morphology and immunostaining led to a final diagnosis of PTE of recurrent breast cancer. Pulmonary embolism of cancer is a progressive, fatal condition with challenging diagnosis. Selective aspiration cytology with a Swan-Ganz catheter is a useful, less invasive option in patients with suspected PTE.

An 82-year-old woman with a history of bladder cancer presented with dyspnea and loss of consciousness. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed pulmonary embolism, and emergency thrombus aspiration therapy was performed, but the thrombus was not aspirated. Echocardiography showed mobile masses in the heart and a right-to-left shunt due to a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple cerebral infarctions. Surgical thrombectomy and PFO closure were performed, and the patient was diagnosed with intracardiac metastasis of bladder cancer based on intraoperative histopathology. This is a rare case of concomitant pulmonary and cerebral tumor embolism and intracardiac metastasis from bladder cancer.

Acute distress immediately following an 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) scan is an exceedingly rare event. We report a case whose condition was suddenly deteriorated in the nuclear medicine laboratory, and whose diagnosis was confirmed by FDG-PET/CT. A 67-year-old woman with left renal cell carcinoma (RCC) suddenly complained of dyspnea and tachycardia just after undergoing FDG-PET/CT. PET/CT images showed increased FDG uptakes in the left renal vein, inferior vena cava, right atrium, and bilateral hila. She was diagnosed with a massive tumor embolism from the inferior vena cava to both pulmonary arteries, and urgently underwent tumor embolectomy. FDG-PET/CT was helpful for diagnosing the tumor embolism and differentiating it from bland thromboembolism in this patient with RCC.