Background: Simultaneous pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and hemopericardium is a rare but life-threatening condition. As hemopericardium is a contraindication to anticoagulation treatment, it is challenging to handle both conditions together.
Objective: The objective of the study was to report a rare case of a man with thoracic spinal cord injury presenting with simultaneous PTE and hemopericardium.
Design: Case report.
Subject: A 43-year-old man with incomplete T9 paraplegia (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale D) complained of fever one and a half months after spinal cord injury sustained in a fall.
Findings: During evaluation of fever origin, chest computed tomography and transthoracic echocardiogram revealed simultaneous PTE and hemopericardium. After serial echocardiograms over 2 days demonstrated stability, intravenous heparin, and oral warfarin were administered and his medical status was observed closely. Ultimately, both conditions improved without significant complications.
Conclusion: We report successful treatment of man with acute spinal cord injury who presented with simultaneously diagnosed PTE and hemopericardium, a rare complication involving two distinct and opposing pathological mechanisms and conflicting treatments.