[Ultrasound in thromboembolism]

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Cardiology
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Pulmonary embolism (PTE) poses significant diagnostic challenges and carries a high mortality rate.
• Current imaging modalities for PTE require careful consideration of patient stability and contraindications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the utility of various non-invasive imaging techniques for diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PTE).
• To evaluate the accuracy and application of lung ultrasound, echocardiography, and compression leg vein sonography in PTE diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and clinical practices regarding ultrasound and echocardiography in PTE diagnosis.
• Discussion of the role of pulmonary sonography as an adjunct or alternative to CT pulmonary angiography.

Main Results:

• Bedside echocardiography demonstrates 90% accuracy in hemodynamically unstable patients, enabling immediate treatment.
• Compression sonography of leg veins is rapid but identifies PTE in only 50% of cases.
• Pulmonary sonography detects subpleural consolidations in at least 75% of PTE patients and is valuable when CT is contraindicated.

Conclusions:

• A combination of lung ultrasound, echocardiography, and leg vein ultrasound achieves over 90% sensitivity for PTE diagnosis.
• These ultrasound techniques offer valuable, non-invasive diagnostic options for pulmonary embolism, especially in specific clinical scenarios.