Summary

While trials of systemic thrombolysis for submassive and massive pulmonary embolism (PE) report intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) rates of 2%–3%, the risk of ICH in patients with recent brain surgery or intracranial neoplasm is unknown since these patients were excluded from these trials. We report a case of massive PE treated with systemic thrombolysis in a patient with recent neurosurgery for an intracranial neoplasm. We discuss the risks and benefits of systemic thrombolysis for massive PE in the context of previous case reports, prior cohort studies and trials, and current guidelines. There may be times when the immediate risk of death from massive PE outweighs the risk of ICH from systemic thrombolysis, even when guideline-listed major contraindications exist. This case provides an example of how the haemodynamic benefit of systemic thrombolysis outweighed the impact of ICH in a patient who had undergone recent neurosurgical resection of a glioblastoma multiforme tumour.