Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1973 Mar;28(2):198–203. doi: 10.1136/thx.28.2.198

Radiographic signs of pulmonary embolism and pulmonary infarction

S Talbot 1, B S Worthington 1, E J Roebuck 1
PMCID: PMC470015  PMID: 4731114

Abstract

A comparative analysis of the radiographic features in a group of patients dying with pulmonary embolism and/or pulmonary infarction, and a group without but suspected of having the conditions before death, showed that two radiologists could diagnose pulmonary infarction correctly in 70% of cases. The most useful radiographic sign was elevation of the diaphragm often with slight atelectasis and a small unilateral effusion. The plain chest radiograph was of little value in diagnosing pulmonary embolism without infarction.

Full text

PDF
198

Images in this article

200Image
on p.200
201Image
on p.201

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ARENDT J., ROSENBERG M. Thromboembolism of the lungs. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1959 Feb;81(2):245–254. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BARRITT D. W., JORDAN S. C. Clinical features of pulmonary embolism. Lancet. 1961 Apr 8;1(7180):729–732. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(61)92891-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CHANG C. H., DAVIS W. C. A ROENTGEN SIGN OF PULMONARY INFARCTION. Clin Radiol. 1965 Apr;16:141–147. doi: 10.1016/s0009-9260(65)80007-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chang C. H. Radiological considerations in pulmonary embolism. Clin Radiol. 1967 Jul;18(3):301–309. doi: 10.1016/s0009-9260(67)80078-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. FLEISCHNER F. G. Unilateral pulmonary embolism with increased compensatory circulation through the unoccluded lung. Roentgen observations. Radiology. 1959 Oct;73:591–597. doi: 10.1148/73.4.591. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HOLLISTER L. E., CULL V. L. The syndrome of chronic thrombosis of the major pulmonary arteries. Am J Med. 1956 Aug;21(2):312–320. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(56)90064-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LAUR A. ROENTGEN DIAGNOSIS OF PULMONARY EMBOLISM AND ITS DIFFERENTIATION FROM MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1963 Sep;90:632–637. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MACLEOD J. G., GRANT I. W. A clinical, radiographic, and pathological study of pulmonary embolism. Thorax. 1954 Mar;9(1):71–83. doi: 10.1136/thx.9.1.71. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. SHORT D. S. A radiological study of pulmonary infarction. Q J Med. 1951 Jul;20(79):233–245. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. SMITH M. J. Roentgenographic aspects of complete and incomplete pulmonary infarction. Dis Chest. 1953 May;23(5):532–546. doi: 10.1378/chest.23.5.532. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. STEIN G. N., CHEN J. T., GOLDSTEIN F., ISRAEL H. L., FINKELSTEIN A. The importance of chest roentgenography in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1959 Feb;81(2):255–263. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Simon G. Further observations on the long line shadow across a lower zone of the lung. Br J Radiol. 1970 May;43(509):327–332. doi: 10.1259/0007-1285-43-509-327. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. TEPLICK J. G., HASKIN M. E., STEINBERG S. B. CHANGES IN THE MAIN PULMONARY ARTERY SEGMENT FOLLOWING PULMONARY EMBOLISM. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1964 Sep;92:557–560. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. WOESNER M. E., GARDINER G. A., STILSON W. L. Pulmonary embolism does not necessarily mean pulmonary infarction; a case report. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1953 Mar;69(3):380–384. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES