A 17-year-old with chest pain

Abstract

A 17-year-old male subject with a history of deep venous thrombosis presented with acute unilateral severe chest pain. His examination was nonspecific, and vital signs were normal. His initial laboratory evaluation revealed mild thrombocytopenia, elevated troponin levels, and critically elevated activated partial thromboplastin time. A computed tomography angiogram of the chest revealed a pulmonary embolus, and anticoagulation therapy was initiated. His course was complicated by the development of multiple thrombi and respiratory failure. Extensive evaluation revealed a rare, underlying diagnosis in time for life-saving treatment to be initiated.