Pulmonary embolism — review of diagnostic imaging methods

Abstract

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the most common life-threatening cardiological disorders. It is the mechanical blockage of a lung artery by a substance, usually a thrombus, that has moved through the bloodstream. The suspicion of PE may be based on specific, yet non-characteristic subjective and objective symptoms, including laboratory investigations and the medical history of the patient. For a clinical assessment of the likelihood of PE, two point scales are recommended — the Wells Scale and the modified Geneva Score. Imaging tests that can confirm or exclude PE include both methods associated with radiation exposure, such as chest radiogram, lung scintigraphy, single-photon emission computed tomography, computed tomographic pulmonary angiography or pulmonary angiography, as well as methods without radiation exposure such as ultrasonography (where venous compression ultrasound and echocardiography are promising, but are not yet ready for widespread use) and magnetic resonance angiography. The choice of imaging method depends on the availability of specific medical equipment and the clinical condition of the patient.