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Previous Volume 351:380-387 July 22, 2004 Number 4 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Presentation of Case

A 50-year-old woman was evaluated in the pulmonary clinic because of low oxygen saturation.

Five years earlier, dysfunctional uterine bleeding and dysmenorrhea had developed. A pelvic ultrasonographic examination at that time had revealed uterine fibroids. Four years later, the woman was found to be anemic; an endometrial biopsy showed no evidence of cancer. A repeated pelvic ultrasonographic examination revealed a slightly enlarged uterus, 11 cm in length, and a posterior submucous uterine fibroid, 35 by 30 by 41 mm, that displaced the endometrium anteriorly. Her symptoms were controlled for a time with ibuprofen. However, the pain increased, and after she . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Differential Diagnosis

Preoperative Evaluation with Pulse Oximetry

Causes of Low Oxygen Saturation on Pulse Oximetry

Limitations of Pulse Oximetry

Co-Oximetry

Methemoglobinemia

            Acquired Methemoglobinemia

            Hemoglobin Variants

            Recessive Congenital Methemoglobinemia

Summary and Conclusions

Discussion of Management

Clinical Diagnosis

Dr. William E. Hurford's Diagnosis

Pathological Discussion

Pathological Diagnosis

Source Information

From the Departments of Anesthesia and Critical Care (W.E.H.) and Pathology (A.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

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