Acute Pulmonary Embolism and COVID-19

Abstract

Risk factors for pulmonary embolism in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 include obesity, an elevated d-dimer value, elevated C-reactive protein level, and a rising d-dimer value over time.

Figure 1:

Flowchart depicts patient population. Limited pulmonary CT angiography was defined by respiratory motion and poor contrast opacification. Nine patients who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) underwent multiple pulmonary CT angiography examinations and only the most recent study was used as a reference point in analysis. PCR = polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR = reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

Figure 2:

A, B, Axial and, C, D, coronal pulmonary CT angiography images in a 76-year-old African American man with body mass index of 37 kg/m² who required admission to medical intensive care unit for acute respiratory failure secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 confirmed with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Pulmonary CT angiography was obtained 4 days after admission and demonstrates acute pulmonary embolism in right lower lobar pulmonary artery (white arrows), bilateral ground glass opacities (black arrows), and consolidation (arrowheads).