Pulmonary embolism in obesity-hypoventilation syndrome

Abstract

Introduction Obesity-hypoventilation syndrome occurs with alveolar hypoventilation during sleeping and daytime. Obesity may be a risk factor for venous thromboembolism. However, the venous thromboembolism in the obesity-hypoventilation syndrome is not well characterized. Objective This case series aimed to investigate the presence and clinical features of venous thromboembolism in patients with the obesity-hypoventilation syndrome. Methods Data of eight case reports were collected. Ages ranged from 36 to 73 years. Results All patients had mosaic perfusion and enlarged main pulmonary artery, two had signs of infarction and mostly segmental and subsegmental filling defects. On the basis of this information some conclusions can be drawn carefully. Conclusion Present cases indicate that pulmonary embolism are also very common in patients with obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, anticoagulant therapy is at least as important as the treatment of the current disease. Clinicians will frequently be faced with patients with obesity-hypoventilation syndrome suspected of PE.