Abstract
Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common cause of mortality from cardiovascular disease, preceded only by myocardial infarctions and cerebrovascular accidents. The diagnostic challenge of pulmonary emboli divides into missing the emboli or overuse of imaging before initiating needed therapy. PE can be misdiagnosed and inevitably fatal in vulnerable populations when untreated. Objectives: In this paper, we focused on diagnostic imaging in pulmonary embolism patients, and only relevant studies were discussed. Methodology: PubMed database was used for articles selection. The papers on imaging modalities and pulmonary embolism detection were obtained and reviewed. Conclusion: Pulmonary embolism is a fatal disease when identified late and improperly managed. Further intensive work is required in the field of pulmonary embolism imaging. The approach for diagnosis and rapid management of fatal diseases has changed during the last 50 years. The advent of new radio-pharmaceuticals and optimized radiosensitive tracers would be an advantageous addition to current imaging modalities.