Clinico-radiological diverse presentations of pulmonary embolism with pulmonary Infarcts: A case series
Abstract
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious cardiovascular emergency with high mortality, often complicated by its varied and atypical presentations. Delayed diagnosis can significantly impact patient outcomes, especially when the condition is further masked by pulmonary infarction, which may mimic other common respiratory conditions. This case series presents three patients with uncommon clinico-radiological presentations of PE with concurrent pulmonary infarcts, highlighting the diagnostic dilemmas faced in such scenarios. The first case involves a young male presenting with breathlessness, haemoptysis, and imaging suggestive of pneumonia. Lack of response to antibiotics and a detailed history pointing to prior immobilization raised suspicion for PE, later confirmed on CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). The second case describes a post-operative male with persistent right pleural effusion and chest pain, initially managed as a surgical complication. PE was eventually diagnosed after persistent symptoms led to advanced imaging, revealing pulmonary infarction and embolism despite no Doppler evidence of deep vein thrombosis. The third case features a patient with recent trauma and lower limb neurological deficits, presenting with subtle respiratory findings and a significantly elevated D-dimer. Imaging revealed near-total occlusion of the left main pulmonary artery and bilateral pulmonary infarcts. These cases illustrate how PE can present with non-specific or misleading symptoms such…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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