Pulmonary embolism due to hemangioma of segment I compressing the inferior vena cava: A Case Report

INTRODUCTION: Hemangiomas are common hepatic lesions and are mostly asymptomatic. Operative removal should only be performed when the lesions are symptomatic, and removal of the hemangioma is deemed to be more beneficial than the risk of the operation itself. PRESENTATION OF THE CASE: The multiple hemangiomas of our patient were discovered nine years before first symptoms. The patient presented with pulmonary artery embolism due to a compression of the vena cava inferior by a hemangioma in segment I. No other cause of thromboembolic events could be diagnosed. We performed surgical enucleation of the hemangioma, which resulted in the normalization of blood flow in the inferior vena cava. As the inducing factor for clot development was removed, no permanent thrombosis prophylaxis was implicated. DISCUSSION: Pulmonary embolisms owing to compression of the inferior vena cave are rare. CONCLUSION: Until now to our knowledge, pulmonary embolisms have never been described as an indication for hepatic hemangioma enucleation.