Foreign-Body Pulmonary Embolism

Abstract

The minimal incidence of pulmonary foreign-body embolism in a general pediatric pathology experience was ascertained by reviewing autopsy records, and the true incidence of pulmonary foreign-body embolism was determined by studying lung sections from 64 autopsies of patients who had undergone cardiac procedures. Seventeen cases of embolism were reported from 370 autopsies, an incidence of 4.6%. The true incidence of pulmonary foreign-body embolism was found to be 21.9% in the cardiac surgical autopsies and the minimal incidence was 5.1% in patients who had other types of surgery. No patients other than those having surgical procedures had embolism. Hair was found to be the embolic material in 35% of cases. Embolic lesions were characterized, staged, and correlated with clinical data. The pathogenesis of this condition is unclear, but it probably involves contamination of surgical materials with particulate matter.

Non-infectious interstitial alveolitis and foreign body pulmonary vasculitis in a child treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

“…In children, cases of textile emboli have been reported due to a now obsolete perfusion material, 19 or after cardiac surgery or catherization resulting in pulmonary emboli. 20 Bowen et al 21 reported a case of fatal pulmonary hypertension in a newborn baby in whom lung histology revealed the presence of birefringent foreign bodies situated in the intima of the pulmonary arteries and arterioles, which were at the center of a moderate histiocyte reaction. When analyzed by X-ray diffraction, these particles proved to be talc or silicon and titanium, and their origin was thought to be the perfusion material or fluid.…”