Methylmethacrylate Pulmonary Emboli: Radiographic and Computed Tomographic Findings

Abstract

One of the most serious potential complications of vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty is the embolization of methylmethacrylate cement into the pulmonary arteries. We present an overview of the subject and a pictorial review the spectrum of radiographic and computed tomographic appearances of methylmethacrylate cement pulmonary emboli.

Put Your Back into It: Pathologic Conditions of the Spine at Chest CT

“…Limited methyl methacrylate pulmonary emboli may be asymptomatic; in more severe cases, hypotension, arrhythmia, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory distress, or death may result. Detection of methyl methacrylate emboli at contrast-enhanced chest CT is optimized by using bone window settings (10) (Fig 3).…”