Role of Chest X-Ray for the Detection of Pulmonary Thromboembolism: A Critical Evaluation

Pulmonary thromboembolism is a common prevalent problem leading to various kinds of morbidities and can be the potential cause of deaths directly or indirectly in approximately onethird of the cases. Early diagnosis accompanied by early treatment has shown to reduce the morbidity. Due to variable clinical presentation and non-specific symptoms, early diagnosis can be challenging at times. Suspecting this entity on plain radiograph can play important role in early detection and use of subsequent image modalities, i.e. CT angiography and/or echocardiography to establish the diagnosis, leading to improved outcomes. This review highlights the role of chest X ray and CT in diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism.