Histological validation of pulmonary infarction detected with contrast‐enhanced ultrasound in patients with negative computed tomography pulmonary angiogram: A case series

Abstract

The purpose of this case series is to evaluate the diagnostic potential of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism (PE), suspicious pleural lesions, and negative computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA). Between January 2017 and January 2018, we examined patients with an intermediate or a high-risk Wells score and a negative CTPA with lung B-mode ultrasound (LUS). In a total of six patients, pleural defects were identified and further examined by CEUS. Nonenhancing lesions or those with inhomogeneous enhancement were considered to be suspicious for an embolic event and biopsied for histological validation. The data analysis was retrospective. In LUS, the lesions had an average size of 2.4 cm (range 2-3 cm). Five were hypoechoic and one was complex. The shape was wedge shaped (n = 5) or round (n = 1), and the number was solitary (n = 4) or multiple (n = 2) with dorsobasal localization (n = 6). Three lesions were nonenhancing, and three had an inhomogeneous enhancement with areas with complete absence of enhancement. The histological examination showed pulmonary infarction in all six cases, and in one patient also cells of a lung carcinoma. Our case series demonstrates the diagnostic potential of CEUS for detecting peripheral pulmonary infarction in patients with clinically suspected PE and negative CTPA scan regarding PE. A histological validation or a narrow follow-up might be warranted in some cases.