[Problems in emergency surgery. Massive pulmonary embolism. Clinical and diagnostic aspects]

In spite of the many advances in diagnosis, pulmonary embolism is still hard to identify, one problem stemming from the similarity of its clinical signs with heart and lung conditions. The present study was carried out on 17 patients affected by massive pulmonary embolism. Clinical aspects and diagnostic problems are discussed, with particular regard to the data supplied by chest X-ray, catheterism of the right cardiac cavities and angiopneumographic investigation.