Extensive Postpartum Upper and Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis in a Patient With a History of Preeclampsia

Nolberto Jaramillo; Anisa Raidah; Katherine F Pradas; Steven Lev; Anantha Ramanathan

doi:10.7759/cureus.41109

Extensive Postpartum Upper and Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis in a Patient With a History of Preeclampsia

Cureus. 2023 Jun 28;15(6):e41109. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41109. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Authors

Nolberto Jaramillo¹, Anisa Raidah¹, Katherine F Pradas², Steven Lev³, Anantha Ramanathan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Surgery, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, USA.
² Surgery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA.
³ Neuroradiology, Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, USA.
⁴ Surgery, Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, USA.

Abstract

We describe the case of a 19-year-old woman with no significant medical history who developed progressive right-sided neck pain and palpitations one month following a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. Family history was significant for unprovoked deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in her father at age 44. Systemic examination revealed mild swelling of the right upper extremity with pain on palpation. Computed tomography (CT) of the thorax with contrast demonstrated extensive occlusion of right upper extremity veins and collateralization of chest wall veins. Pulmonary emboli were present bilaterally in the segmental and subsegmental branches of the lower lobe pulmonary arteries. CT of the abdomen with contrast revealed thrombi in the left common and external iliac veins. Thrombophilia screening was normal. The patient was treated with enoxaparin and ampicillin/sulbactam. Her clinical condition improved, and she was discharged with an outpatient clinic follow-up appointment.

Keywords: acute deep vein thrombosis; acute pulmonary embolism; post-partum period; pre-eclampsia; preeclampsia; upper extremity thrombosis.

Publication types

Case Reports