[A case of pulmonary embolism probably induced by long term use of oral contraceptive].

We present a 53-year-old female with pulmonary embolism (PE), who had been taking oral contraceptive for 13 years. She was admitted to our hospital with upper abdominal pain and was found to be in shock. The diagnosis of PE was made from chest X-ray examination, electrocardiogram and pulmonary angiography. Pulmonary hypertension was observed on right heart catheterization, and an anticoagulant was administered. Multiple defects of the right pulmonary artery were detected on lung perfusion scan, and there were no significant findings on leg phlebogram. Home oxygen therapy was effective for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension and chronic hypoxemia which still persisted after her recovery from the acute stage. We are concerned that wide spread use of oral contraceptives will increase the incidence of PE in the near future in this country. We conclude that contraceptive users should be warned of their higher risk of PE, and that they should visit a clinic for examination.