Pulmonary Embolism & Westermark Sign: High-Accuracy CT Diagnosis in Emergency Radiology
Introduction: A Silent Killer in Emergency Diagnosis A 54-year-old patient arrives at the emergency department with sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. The ECG is inconclusive. The chest X-ray appears almost normal—except for a subtle area of decreased vascularity. Minutes later, a CT scan diagnosis confirms a massive pulmonary embolism (PE) . This is where the Westermark sign —a classic yet often overlooked radiologic clue—can make the difference between life and death. Pulmonary embolism is a leading cause of sudden cardiovascular mortality , and its diagnosis increasingly relies on advanced trauma imaging and medical imaging AI-assisted radiology interpretation . This article provides a comprehensive, expert-level guide to pulmonary embolism with a focus on the Westermark sign, optimized for both clinical understanding and high-performance SEO. 1. Pathophysiology of Pulmonary Embolism Pulmonary embolism occurs when a thrombus—typically originating from deep veins of t...
