[Postoperative pulmonary thromboembolism in a patient with essential thrombocythemia].

A 75-year-old woman with thrombocythemia underwent distal gastrectomy. Preoperative platelet count was 103 x 10(4) x mm(-1). General anesthesia was given and heparin 20 units x kg(-1) was administered intravenously for prevention of deep vein thrombosis. Operation was finished uneventfully. On the next day, she complained chest pain and was diagnosed as pulmonary thromboembolism. Later, she was diagnosed as essential thrombocythemia.