Objective: Pulmonary Thromboembolism is a life threatening disease. The aim of this study was to define PTE risk factors, clinical characteristics, severity, treatment modalities and responses (mortality, recurrence rates) and incidence of PTE in our hospital.

Material and Method: We retrospectively analyzed data from 164 patients diagnosed as PTE in our clinic between 2000 to 2005.

Results: The incidence of PTE was 20.3/100.000. 44.5% patients were male and 55.5% were female. There were no risk factors for PTE in 25.6% of the patients. Risk factors were; immobilization (29.9%), surgery (28.6%), malignancy (13.4%), heart failure (16.5%), cerebrovascular disease (15.2%), trauma (9.2%), previous VTE event (6.1%). Most of the embolies (70.7%) were localized in the pulmonary arteries of both lungs. One-sided embolies showed a preponderance in the right lung (60.5%). Sixteen point five percent of patients had massive PTE, 21.3% had submassive PTE and 62.2% had nonmassive PTE. The rate of use of unfractionated heparin for PTE treatment was 68.3%, low moleculer weight heparin 43.3%, warfarin 84.8%, and thrombolytic 9.8%. The mortality rate was 11% and recurrence rate was 14.6%.

Conclusion: Frequent occurrence of PTE in immobile patients and in post operative patients in our study emphasizes the importance of preventive treatment modalities for PTE. Especially GIS malignities were found as risk factors for PTE. Because of the high frequency of idiopathic PTE, hereditary risk factors should be investigated. PTE are localized mostly in the pulmonary arteries of both lungs. (Tur Toraks Der 2010; 11: 149-54)