Tumor embolization causing acute ischemia with sometimes fatal results. Case report and review of literature.

Peripheral arterial embolism arising from a malignant tumor is an infrequent manifestation of neoplastic disease and also a rare cause of acute arterial occlusion. A diagnosis of lower limb acute ischemia in young adults could be overlooked because the condition is quite uncommon in this age group. A case of lower extremities arterial embolization from metastatic lung cancer of germ cell origin is reported and the literature is reviewed.