Delayed formation of pulmonary artery stump thrombus: a case report and review of the literature

Pulmonary artery stump thrombosis is a recognized complication after pneumonectomy. However, to our knowledge, there is only one case report of delayed development of this complication. We report the case of a 68 year-old man who presented with chest pain nearly ten years after undergoing a right pneumonectomy for lung cancer. Workup identified a pulmonary artery stump thrombosis. Due to the acute onset of his symptoms, the patient was anticoagulated, and his chest pain resolved. While the literature suggests that anticoagulation is not generally required for stump thromboses, we highlight features of this case that may indicate an increased risk of clinically important sequelae. Taking previous reports into account, we argue that a specific subset of patients with stump thrombosis may benefit from systemic anticoagulation.