Massive pulmonary thromboembolism is an important cause of mortality. Its main cause of death is the failure of the right ventricle, due to the high resistance to its outflow, and the patient survival, on these cases, depends on prompt recanalization of the pulmonary arteries. Anticoagulation, use of thrombolytics and pulmonary embolectomy represent established therapeutic options to different clinical scenarios of pulmonary thromboembolism. Nowadays, Interventional Radiology represents an alternative to treat patients with massive pulmonary thromboembolism and contra-indications to thrombolytics, and is a less invasive option compared to embolectomy. The authors reported a case of a patient with massive pulmonary thromboembolismand contra-indication to thrombolysis, who was submitted to percutaneous clot aspiration of the pulmonary arteries, and discussed the main mechanisms of endovascular techniques of pulmonary thromboembolism treatment.
Pulmonary embolism; therapeutics; suction; thrombosis; vascular patency
