Abstract

AIRALDO, Dominique et al. Pulmonary infarction: the signs that we must not miss in chest CT without contrast. Rev. argent. radiol. [online]. 2023, vol.87, n.4, pp.155-159. ISSN 1852-9992.  http://dx.doi.org/10.24875/rar.23000037.

Pulmonary infarction (PI) results from occlusion of the distal pulmonary arteries leading to ischemia, hemorrhage, and necrosis of the pulmonary parenchyma. The most common cause of pulmonary infarction is pulmonary embolism (PE). Early diagnosis of PI allows early initiation of treatment and supportive care, thus reducing the associated morbidity and mortality. This review aims to highlight the importance of identifying signs that are highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of PE even without IV contrast. High-resolution computed tomography (CT) is the method that provides the most information, as it observes classic signs of PI such as wedge-shaped opacity, central lucencies in peripheral consolidation, and the feeding vessel sign, as well as signs with high negative predictive value such as consolidating opacity with air bronchogram that are suggestive of other pathologies, whether infectious or tumoural.

Keywords : Pulmonary infarction; Pulmonary embolism; Computed tomography.

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