Chronic Pulmonary Embolism in a Young Athletic Woman

Abstract

Exercise-induced dyspnea (EID) is a common complaint in young athletes. Exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) is the most common cause of EID in healthy athletes, but it is important to recognize more serious pathology. Herein we present the case of an 18-year-old woman with a 1.5-year history of EID. She had been treated for EIB without relief. Her arterial oxygen saturation was 88% during exercise testing. Computed tomographic angiography to assess for vascular abnormalities identified a large thrombus in the main pulmonary trunk. Symptoms markedly improved with therapeutic anticoagulation. Massive pulmonary embolus is an exceedingly rare etiology of exertional dyspnea in young athletes. Hypoxemia during exercise testing was an important clue that something more ominous was lurking that required definitive diagnosis.