STUDY DESIGN: A case of acute respiratory distress syndrome following percutaneous vertebroplasty is described. OBJECTIVE: To alert clinicians to the potential occurrence of acute respiratory distress syndrome following use of polymethylmethacrylate bone cement. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema has not been reported following intravertebral injection of polymethylmethacrylate. METHODS: A 68-year-old woman underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty for a painful L5 compression fracture under local anesthesia. A contralateral transpedicular approach was made to inject polymethylmethacrylate. RESULTS: On the third postoperative day, she developed arthralgia, myalgia, fever, and frequent coughing. Chest radiography revealed bilateral, multifocal, patchy consolidations, suggestive of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and a 5-cm-long tubular radiopacity in the right pulmonary artery. She died 20 days after the vertebroplasty. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that clinicians must be aware of the potential occurrence of acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients who received percutaneous vertebroplasty.
STUDY DESIGN: A case of acute respiratory distress syndrome following percutaneous vertebroplasty is described. OBJECTIVE: To alert clinicians to the potential occurrence of acute respiratory distress syndrome following use of polymethylmethacrylate bone cement. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema has not been reported following intravertebral injection of polymethylmethacrylate. METHODS: A 68-year-old woman underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty for a painful L5 compression fracture under local anesthesia. A contralateral transpedicular approach was made to inject polymethylmethacrylate. RESULTS: On the third postoperative day, she developed arthralgia, myalgia, fever, and frequent coughing. Chest radiography revealed bilateral, multifocal, patchy consolidations, suggestive of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and a 5-cm-long tubular radiopacity in the right pulmonary artery. She died 20 days after the vertebroplasty. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that clinicians must be aware of the potential occurrence of acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients who received percutaneous vertebroplasty.
Authors: Amanda L McSweeney; Brett G Zani; Rose Baird; James R L Stanley; Alison Hayward; Peter M Markham; Gregory A Kopia; Elazer R Edelman; Robert Rabiner Journal: J Orthop Res Date: 2017-02-20 Impact factor: 3.494