[Diagnosis of chronic massive pulmonary thromboembolism in elderly patients]

Chronic massive thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery is an occlusion of the major branches of the pulmonary artery which develops as a result of repeated embolisms, as a result of non-dissolution and organizing of a thrombus or retrograde growth of a thrombus. The authors observed four elderly patients with chronic massive pulmonary embolization. In their clinical picture dominated progressing dyspnoea and signs of right heart failure. In the diagnosis perfusion scan of the lungs and pulmoangiographic examination plays an important part as they revealed even unilateral absence of pulmonary circulation. This examination was stimulated by weaker respiration at the site of the lacking perfusion in a portion of the lungs.