Serena Williams Hospitalized for Complications from Pulmonary Embolism

Tennis superstar Serena Williams was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital on Monday for emergency treatment for complications from an earlier pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage of an artery in the lung.

Williams' rep, Nicole Chabot, said that Williams developed the clot last week after she returned to Los Angeles from New York. Serena had been in New York to consult with doctors about an foot injury. She had reportedly cut her foot on a piece of glass at a restaurant in July and required two surgeries.

A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that gets lodged in the lung, but that originated elsewhere. The most common source of pulmonary embolisms is deep vein thrombosis in the leg. If left untreated, the incidence of death is about 30 percent.

Williams would have been at risk for DVT due to her recent injury as well as her cross-country flight. Treatment likely included blood thinners and potentially embolytics, or drugs that break up clots. Both would increase her risk of hematoma, which is what she went to the hospital for on Monday.

Her publicist said:

"Monday Serena Williams underwent emergency treatment at Cedars [Sinai Medical Center] for a hematoma she suffered as a result of treatment for a more critical situation. Doctors are continuing to monitor her situation closely to avoid additional complications."

Hematomas can be as mild as a bruise to as serious as a hemorrhage.