[A case of phlebothrombosis of lower extremity and pulmonary embolism due to progesterone]

Abstract

A case with lower extremity phlebothrombosis and pulmonary embolism caused by progesterone is reported in this paper. The patient is a 64-year-old woman who had been operated on for right breast cancer 22 years before. It was noticed that there was a relapsing cancer on her right shoulder 6 months before this episode. After effective treatment of 5-FU, she had received 1,200mg of Medroxyprogesterone acetate and 30mg of Tamoxifen daily for 4 months. With the complaint of dyspnea and left leg swelling 4 months after above treatment, she was admitted in our hospital. Laboratory data and angiograms showed venous thrombosis in her left leg and pulmonary embolism. Relapsing cancer had already disappeared by the time she was admitted. After discontinuance of these medicines, her condition had improved. Considering these observations, the patient's phlebothrombosis and embolism seem to have been caused by Medroxyprogesterone acetate.