Case 43-1980: Pulmonary Embolic Carcinomatosis

To the Editor: In Case 43–1980 (October 30) we were struck by the first chest roentgenogram, which showed that the pulmonary-artery catheter had been advanced far into an interlobar artery. The lack of relevant comment in the discussion of the film was surprising. It is possible that the pulmonary-artery balloon-occluded pressure could not be obtained in a more central pulmonary vessel in this patient. However, the second chest roentgenogram, which showed that the pulmonary-artery catheter had been withdrawn by several centimeters, argues against this possibility. The increased risk of pulmonary thrombosis has been documented when the pulmonary-artery catheter is wedged . . . No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.