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Case Reports
. 2021 Aug;16(8):2072-2076.
doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2021.04.078. Epub 2021 May 9.

Acute pulmonary embolism mimicking COVID-19 pneumonia

Najwa Benslima  1 , Mariam Kassimi  1 , Sophia Berrada  1 , M R Cherkaoui Jaouad  1 , Amal Hajjij  2 , Nezha Dini  1   3 , Mohamed Mahi  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Acute pulmonary embolism mimicking COVID-19 pneumonia

Najwa Benslima et al. Radiol Case Rep. 2021 Aug.

Erratum in

Abstract

The case of 21-year-old man with an asthma history from childhood presenting severe respiratory distress associated with a right lower thoracic pain has been studied. The non-contrast Computed Tomography (CT)-chest scan showed a basal ground-glass opacity (GGO) of the right lung leading to suspicion of COVID-19 pneumonia. However, the molecular Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test and blood serology were negative while laboratory analyses revealed high levels of D-dimers (D-D). In addition, 2 repeated COVID-19 tests were negative. A thoracic CT angiography was disclosed due to the persistence of pain at the lower right thoracic side and hemoptysis that shows a bilateral distal pulmonary embolism with a right-sided basal subsegmental ischemia. We discuss a fortuitous discovery of pulmonary embolism associated with peripheral basal ground-glass opacities similar to radiological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Keywords: Artery embolism; CT chest angiography; Chest pain; Covid-19; Ground-glass opacity; Pneumonia.

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Figures

Fig 1 –
Fig. 1
Axial (A) and coronal (B) section lung window of CT- chest angiography showing a peripheral subpleural ground-glass opacity in the lower segment of right lung.
Fig 2 –
Fig. 2
Sagittal (A) and axial (B,C) reconstructions angiography CT images shows a total stenosis of the posterior branch of the right inferior pulmonary artery (yellow arrow) with ischemia of lung (blue arrow) and a total occlusion of the inferior branch of the right and left pulmonary artery (C) (red arrow) (Color version of the figure is available online.)
Fig 3 –
Fig. 3
Axial CT angiography of lung window showing condensation and extension of the pre-existing ground-glass opacity of the lower segment of right lung (blue arrows) (Color version of the figure is available online.)
Fig 4 –
Fig. 4
Sagittal Maximum intensity projection reconstruction of CT chest images (A) showing partial repermeabilization of the inferior right pulmonary artery (yellow arrow). Axial CT angiography section mediastinal window (B) showing decrease of the condensation of lower segment of right lung 1 month late (white arrow) (Color version of the figure is available online.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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