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Thromboembolic Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension

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Geriatric Imaging

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Abstract

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common medical condition in the elderly that includes both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE).

VTE clinical presentation is often nonspecific, and older patients are more likely to ignore symptoms thus leading to unrecognized and untreated cases. This chapter describes the current imaging techniques utilized for diagnosis, such as chest x-ray, lung scintigraphy, ultrasonography, and computed tomography. We also described two specific forms of PE: PE in acute COPD exacerbation and tumor embolism.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a hemodynamic and pathophysiological state that can be found in multiple clinical conditions. The general radiological findings are discussed, with particular attention to computed tomography signs. We also describe the most common forms of PH in the elderly: PH associated with connective tissue disease, PH due to lung diseases and/or hypoxia, and PH secondary to left heart disease.

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Abbreviations

COPD:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CTD:

Connective tissue disease

CTEPH:

Chronic thromboembolic ­pulmonary hypertension

CTPA:

Computed tomography ­pulmonary angiography

DVT:

Deep venous thrombosis

HRCT:

High resolution computed tomography

IPH:

Idiopathic pulmonary ­hypertension

LV:

Left ventricle

MDCT:

Multidetector computed ­tomography

mPAP:

Mean pulmonary arterial ­pressure

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PE:

Pulmonary embolism

PH:

Pulmonary hypertension

PAH:

Pulmonary arterial ­hypertension

PVOD:

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease

RV:

Right ventricle

VTE:

Venous thromboembolic ­disease

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardio-Thoracic Radiology Unit, Hospital Sant’Orsola-Malpighi, Via Massarenti 9, 40138, Bologna (BO), Italy

    Maurizio Zompatori, Domenico Attinà & Fabio Niro

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  1. Maurizio Zompatori
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  2. Domenico Attinà
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  3. Fabio Niro
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Correspondence to Maurizio Zompatori .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Viale Cappuccini 1, San Giovanni Rotondo,Foggia, 71013, Italy

    Giuseppe Guglielmi

  2. , Diagnostic Radiology, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Yishun Central 90, Singapore, 768828, Singapore

    Wilfred C. G. Peh

  3. Dept. Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, E. Newton St. 88, Boston, 02118, Massachusetts, USA

    Ali Guermazi

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Zompatori, M., Attinà, D., Niro, F. (2013). Thromboembolic Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension. In: Guglielmi, G., Peh, W., Guermazi, A. (eds) Geriatric Imaging. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35579-0_18

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