CTICasesPulmonary Tumor Embolism
Imaging findings
Chest CT in a patient with a history of parotid gland squamous cell carcinoma shows bilateral, tree-in-bud and centrilobular pulmonary nodules. The pulmonary arteries are mildly dilated, and the patient has clinical signs of pulmonary hypertension. High-resolution MIP reconstructions show the nodules are centered within the small pulmonary arterioles. Histopathology confirms widespread intravascular tumor emboli/metastases with minimal alveolar invasion.
Key takeaways
Pulmonary tumor embolism is a form of metastatic disease where tumor cells embolize and proliferate within the pulmonary microvasculature. It is a well-known cause of progressive dyspnea and subacute pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension. On CT, it can mimic infectious bronchiolitis or excipient lung disease by presenting as tree-in-bud and centrilobular nodules, and histopathological diagnosis is key.
AI-assisted summary — may contain errors. Verify against the source video. Learn more
More from this webinar
- Ollier DiseaseCongenital
- Gold Thread AcupunctureIatrogenic
- Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive DiseaseVascular
- Iatrogenic Circumflex Artery OcclusionIatrogenic
- Pulmonary SlingCongenital
- Mitral-Aortic Intervalvular Fibrosa PseudoaneurysmInfection
- Retained Acupuncture NeedlesIatrogenic
- CoccidioidomycosisInfection
See all cases from December 8, 2017 →