AJR:191, October 2008
Iclal Ocak, Carl Fuhrman
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to show the imaging findings of the left atrium and right ventricle on CT angiography in patients with massive pulmonary embolism.
CONCLUSION. Massive pulmonary embolism can cause abrupt acute pulmonary arte¬rial hypertension, right ventricular dysfunction, and decrease in left ventricular preload. Pa¬tients with these findings on CT angiography can have a poorer prognosis than those without these imaging findings. Consequently, recognizing anatomic changes such as right ventricu¬lar dilation or septal bowing, decrease in size of left atrium and pulmonary veins (a manifes¬tation of decreased pulmonary venous return) would be useful for risk stratification at the time of massive pulmonary embolism.