BACKGROUND Heart diseases increase the risk of arterial embolism; whether they increase the risk of pulmonary embolism without peripheral venous thrombosis is less certain. METHODS AND RESULTS We conducted a nationwide, population-based case-control study in Denmark using patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and/or deep venous thrombosis between 1980 and 2007. We computed odds ratios to...

INTRODUCTION We describe a case of pulmonary gas embolism caused by portal vein gas (PVG) observed using echocardiography. Echography revealed gas flowing through the hepatic vein, inferior vena cava, right atrium, and right ventricle, as well as pulmonary hypertension. The patient was diagnosed as having pulmonary gas embolism caused by PVG. OBJECTIVE We consider PVG routes to pulmonary circ...

A patient with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome and pulmonary arterial hypertension not associated with chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension is described. It is hypothesised that pulmonary arterial hypertension is another complication associated with the Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, possibly due to haemodynamic changes of small vessel abnormalities.

RATIONALE Clinical probability assessment is a fundamental step in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. OBJECTIVES To develop a predictive model for pulmonary embolism based on clinical symptoms, signs, and the interpretation of the electrocardiogram. METHODS The model was developed from a database of 1,100 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism, of whom 440 had the disease confirmed by...

To determine the sensitivities and specificities of ventilation/perfusion lung scans for acute pulmonary embolism, a random sample of 933 of 1493 patients was studied prospectively. Nine hundred thirty-one underwent scintigraphy and 755 underwent pulmonary angiography; 251 (33%) of 755 demonstrated pulmonary embolism. Almost all patients with pulmonary embolism had abnormal scans of high, inter...

Pulmonary embolism may be a life-threatening condition that needs immediate medical intervention. Early detection plays an important role in improving the survival rate. However, pulmonary embolism is a difficult diagnosis that may be missed because of non-specific clinical presentation. According to guidelines on the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism, it should be diagnosed ...

In patients with heart failure the risk of systemic thrombo-embolism and the benefit of anticoagulation are uncertain. To assess the incidence of systemic thromboembolism and the factors associated with an increased risk, 406 consecutive patients with chronic heart failure were prospectively investigated. Their left ventricular ejection fraction was 23 +/- 8%, pulmonary wedge pressure 19 +/- 10...