Cavitary Consolidation in Pulmonary Infarct Secondary to Embolism: A Rare Presentation

Obstruction of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches, often due to thrombi from the deep veins of the lower extremities can result in a life-threatening condition known as pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary infarction, an unusual complication of pulmonary embolism occurs when the blood supply to lung tissue is obstructed, leading to tissue necrosis. An 80-year-old man presented with a cough, breathlessness, and generalized weakness. He was vitally stable with no oxygen requirement, which could have suggested an infective etiology like pneumonia or tuberculosis. However, the presence of calf tenderness prompted us to perform a venous Doppler ultrasonography, which revealed deep venous thrombosis. This, combined with right atrial and ventricular dilation and moderate pulmonary artery hypertension observed on transthoracic echocardiography (2D ECHO), led us to recommend a CT pulmonary angiography. The angiography revealed an uncommon presentation of pulmonary embolism with multiple pulmonary infarcts. Here, we chronicle an unusual case of pulmonary infarction secondary to pulmonary embolism, which presented radiologically as consolidation with an aseptic cavity, a rare and atypical triple occurrence.