Echocardiography in pulmonary embolism

Abstract

Echocardiography is considered as important and frequent imaging method in the diagnostics of pulmonary embolism (PE). In fact, when compared to angiography or nuclear scanning, it does not detect a direct site of the occlusion of the pulmonary arteries but visualizes hemodynamical consequences of the obstruction on the right heart. Echocardiography has a key role in the management of patients with severe forms of PE and in some cases, its crucial for the decision making when reperfusion therapy is considered or when increased monitoring of the patients at intensive care unit is required. Also, it allows to detect other potential causes of the symptoms that could mimic PE. Furthermore, it is a main screening method in the detection of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, in persons with persisting symptoms of dyspnoea and fatigue after the episode of PE, despite the anticoagulative treatment. In this article we will discuss the role of echocardiography in the management of patients with PE, we will analyse single parameters, that clarify the diagnosis, and we will also mention the limitations of the method.