Clinical features of acute pulmonary thromboembolism in younger patients.

The incidence of acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APTE) in younger patients is extremely low compared with older patients, so the clinical features of these younger patients with APTE is unknown. In the present study, 8 patients with APTE who were less than 40 years old (YG) were compared with 40 patients who were more than 41 years of age (OG). All YG patients had coagulopathy compared with 3 patients in the OG (p<0.01). Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) occurred in all 8 patients in the YG compared with 19 patients in the OG (p<0.01). A higher incidence of patients whose symptoms occurred gradually was noted in the YG (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics, initial symptoms, past history or other predisposing factors for venous thromboembolism between the 2 groups. Residual pulmonary hypertension was not noted in the YG. However, 1 patient in the YG had recurrent APTE, despite good warfarin control. This study demonstrated the frequency of gradual onset, coagulopathy and clinical signs of DVT in the YG and therefore more careful and long-term observation is necessary in such patients.