An unusual finding of massive pulmonary embolism in a patient during treatment with high-dose ibuprofen

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism. We report for the first time, the case of a patient who developed massive pulmonary embolism after a long period of treatment with high doses of ibuprofen. A 65-year-old woman was admitted with severe dyspnea while on treatment with high doses of ibuprofen for diffuse spine pain due to arthrosis. A spiral computed tomography showed a massive pulmonary embolism. No other explanation for the thromboembolic disorder was found. She was successfully treated with therapeutic doses of lowmolecular- weight heparin followed by rivaroxaban. Ibuprofen was discontinued and replaced by tramadol. High-dose ibuprofen is likely to have accounted for the life-threatening thromboembolic disorder.