Septic pulmonary embolism caused by postpartum ovarian vein thrombophlebitis: a case report

Pumtako, M. and Pumtako, C. (2022) Septic pulmonary embolism caused by postpartum ovarian vein thrombophlebitis: a case report. Case Reports in Women's Health, 36, e00445. (doi: 10.1016/j.crwh.2022.e00445) (PMID:36061333) (PMCID:PMC9429485)

Abstract

Objective: To report on the clinical considerations for and management of ovarian vein thrombophlebitis (OVT). OVT is an element of septic pelvic thrombophlebitis (SPT). OVT is a relatively uncommon cause of postpartum fever. It manifests in approximately 0.01–0.02% of vaginal deliveries and 0.1% of caesarean births. A delay in diagnosis and treatment can lead to potentially fatal complications. Case Presentation: A 38-year-old woman presented to the hospital with a fever and dyspnoea. She had had a spontaneous home birth and developed a low-grade fever after delivery. The infant died 1 h after birth due to an unknown cause. After 72 h of intravenous antibiotic treatment, the patient's condition did not improve. Postpartum endometritis with pneumonia was suspected. OVT was also suspected. The patient received broad-spectrum antibiotics and anticoagulant therapy. After 7 days of treatment, repeat computed tomography scan revealed that the condition of the lungs and uterus had improved. Conclusion: Puerperal fever and septic pulmonary embolism may be signs of OVT. Thus, a diagnosis of OVT should be considered when a patient presents with prolonged fever postpartum and is not responsive to standard endometritis therapy. Moreover, anticoagulant therapy can confirm the diagnosis if the fever subsides following broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Pumtako, Chattarin
• Authors: Pumtako, M., and Pumtako, C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences
• Journal Name: Case Reports in Women's Health
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 2214-9112
• ISSN (Online): 2214-9112
• Published Online: 19 August 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Case Reports in Women's Health 36: e00445
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License