An unexpected complication of traditional Thai massage.

Traditional massage is one of the art of the Thai people, but its application in an inappropriate situation or with incorrect technique may contribute to severe complications. we report a 46-year-old man who was massaged by his nephew in oreder to relieve an aching right leg. Unfortunately, he developed a deep venous thrombosis with subsequent acute pulmonary embolism. Emergency embolectomy was performed because the thrombus engaged into the left heart through the foramen ovale.