Non-thrombotic pulmonary embolism in emergency CT

Computed tomography findings in septic pulmonary embolism: A case report and literature review

“…Patients with suspected SPE commonly present with symptoms of fever, dyspnea, tachypnea, cough, and pleuritic chest pain. In more severe cases or in patients with delayed treatment, septic shock, and multisystem organ failure may also be seen [4] . Other rare complications include empyema, bronchopleural fistula, and pneumothorax [8] .…”

“…SPE presents specific findings on CT that can facilitate diagnosis. Characteristic CT findings include bilateral nodules with varying degrees of cavitation predominantly in the peripheral and lower lung fields, wedge-shaped lesions with or without necrosis because of septic infarcts, air bronchograms within nodules, and airspace opacities [4 , 7 , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] . Of these, the most noted features on spiral CT are numerous peripheral nodules and wedge-shaped peripheral opacities [12] .…”

“…Septic pulmonary embolism (SPE) is a relatively rare form of pulmonary embolism that presents following the embolization of pathogen-containing emboli to the lungs from the pulmonary arteries [1] . The most common predisposing conditions that can precipitate SPE are bacterial endocarditis of the right heart (often in intravenous drug users), infected indwelling catheters or devices, periodontal disease, skin and soft tissue infections, alcoholism, and immunodeficiency, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most seen culprit [2] , [3] , [4] . In 1978, a case series study analyzing 60 SPE cases found that 78% of these patients were active intravenous drug users [5] .…”

“…In addition to thorough clinical evaluation and laboratory testing as indicated, radiographic imaging also plays a critical role in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary embolism (PE). SPE is associated with unique imaging findings on computed tomography (CT), which can yield valuable information for reaching a timely and accurate diagnosis [1 , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] .…”

Pulmonary Tumor Embolism: A Rare Cause of Acute Pulmonary Hypertension

“…There are three different mechanisms thought to be behind the pathogenesis of PTE. The first involves a primary tumor in a distant organ that embolizes to the bloodstream, where it can cause occlusion of the pulmonary arteries without invasion [4][5]. Another mechanism is caused by tumor cells being spread hematogenously, where the cells will lodge into the pulmonary arteries.…”