Syncope as the initial presentation of pulmonary embolism in a young adult with testicular tumor: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE: Venous thrombus embolism (VTE) includes deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) which may be an initial symptom for patients with cancer. PE has diverse clinical manifestations and is a rare complication of testicular tumor (TT). PATIENT CONCERNS: Here, we report a 21-year-old man admitted to our hospital due to syncope. DIAGNOSES: Clinical examinations upon admission demonstrated PE resulting in syncope. Further, a malignant TT, liver metastasis, and inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis were diagnosed. INTERVENTIONS: Low molecular heparin was administered immediately after PE was diagnosed. OUTCOMES: The patient suffered from cardiac arrest on hospitalization. LESSONS: Physicians should consider the possibility of TT when a young male patient presents with syncope and is diagnosed with PE that cannot be explained by a common cause. Treatment for TT and PE should be performed as early as possible to improve the prognosis of patients combine with TT and PE.