Successful aspiration thrombectomy in a patient with submassive, intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism following COVID-19 pneumonia

Pohlan, Julian; Kamel, Sarah Nadine; Torsello, Giovanni Federico; Zickler, Daniel; Kruse, Jan Matthias; Eckardt, Kai-Uwe; Gebauer, Bernard

A 64-year old female patient presented with severe dyspnea shortly after apparent recovery from COVID-19 disease. Chest CT revealed central pulmonary embolism and ultrasonography showed a deep vein thrombosis of her right leg. The patient was tachycardic with evidence of right ventricular strain on echocardiography. An interdisciplinary decision for interventional therapy was made. Angiographic aspiration thrombectomy resulted in a significant reduction of thrombus material and improved flow in the pulmonary arteries and immediate marked clinical improvement and subsequent normalization of functional echocardiographic parameters. This case adds to the emerging evidence for severe thromboembolic complications following COVID-19 and suggests aspiration thrombectomy can be considered in PE of intermediate risk.