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Case Report | Radiology and Medical Imaging Sciences | Volume 15 Issue 5, May 2026 | Pages: 1773 - 1779 | India
A Decade in Silence: Incidental Pulmonary Cement Embolism After Post-Traumatic Vertebroplasty with Concurrent Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Abstract: Pulmonary cement embolism (PCE) is a recognized but frequently underdiagnosed complication of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). Most cases are asymptomatic and incidentally detected on imaging. We report a rare case of delayed incidental PCE identified approximately ten years after post-traumatic vertebroplasty in a 50-year-old female undergoing pre-employment medical evaluation. Chest radiography demonstrated linear hyperdense branching opacities within the lungs. HRCT thorax revealed peripheral pulmonary cement emboli involving segmental and subsegmental pulmonary arteries, with cement tracking from the L2 vertebral body through the paravertebral venous plexus and inferior vena cava. Concurrent imaging findings of active pulmonary tuberculosis with fibro-bronchiectatic sequelae were also identified. This case highlights the long-term persistence of PCE, the importance of systematic HRCT interpretation, and the need to consider prior vertebroplasty history when evaluating intravascular high-attenuation pulmonary opacities.
Keywords: pulmonary cement embolism, percutaneous vertebroplasty, post-traumatic vertebral fracture, road traffic accident, HRCT thorax, pulmonary tuberculosis, PMMA embolism, delayed complication, incidental finding, cement leakage, thoracolumbar fracture, PMMA vertebroplasty complication, thoracic CT imaging
How to Cite?: Dr. Gouri Vinod Pillai, Dr. Madan Manmohan, "A Decade in Silence: Incidental Pulmonary Cement Embolism After Post-Traumatic Vertebroplasty with Concurrent Pulmonary Tuberculosis", Volume 15 Issue 5, May 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1773-1779, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26527190325, DOI: https://dx.dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26527190325