Lesson 1Integrating clinical context: risk factors, timing, pleuritic pain, oxygenation, biomarkers (D-dimer, troponin) and how they change diagnostic weightingThis lesson shows how to blend scan results with patient details like risks, when symptoms started, sharp chest pain on breathing, oxygen levels, and blood tests like D-dimer and troponin to better weigh possible diagnoses in sudden breathlessness.
Clinical risk factors for pulmonary embolismTiming of symptoms and disease evolutionPleuritic pain and chest wall tenderness cluesOxygenation, hemodynamics, and imaging choiceBiomarkers and imaging-based risk weightingLesson 2Pitfalls and mimics: motion artifacts, beam-hardening, dependent atelectasis, and contrast timing errorsThis lesson covers common traps and look-alikes in breathlessness scans, such as movement blur, beam hardening, base lung collapse from lying down, and poor contrast timing, with tips to spot and avoid errors in diagnosis.
Recognizing motion and breathing artifactsBeam-hardening and streak artifact mimicsDependent atelectasis versus true consolidationContrast timing errors in CT angiographyChecklist approach to reduce interpretation errorsLesson 3Differential reasoning using signs: PE vs pneumonia vs pulmonary edema vs COPD exacerbationThis lesson teaches how to compare scan patterns for blood clots in lungs, lung infection, heart-related fluid, and COPD flare-ups, using main signs to list likely causes in order that fits the patient's story.
Radiographic patterns of acute pulmonary embolismLobar and bronchopneumonia imaging distinctionsCardiogenic pulmonary edema hallmark signsCOPD exacerbation versus acute infection signsAlgorithmic imaging approach to acute dyspneaLesson 4Structured reporting for acute dyspnea: describing location, size, density, margins, distribution, and associated findingsThis lesson explains how to organise chest scan reports for breathlessness, focusing on where things are, their size, density, edges, spread, and linked findings to make reports clear and useful for decisions.
Standardized description of lesion locationReporting lesion size and volumetric assessmentDensity, attenuation, and enhancement patternsMargins, interfaces, and silhouette descriptionDocumenting distribution and ancillary findingsLesson 5Modalities selection: indications and strengths of chest X-ray vs CT pulmonary angiographyThis lesson compares chest X-rays and CT lung vessel scans for sudden breathlessness, covering when to use each, their pros and cons, radiation, and contrast risks to pick the right scan for the patient.
Initial role of chest X-ray in dyspnea workupIndications for CT pulmonary angiographyContraindications and risk–benefit balancingRadiation dose and contrast nephrotoxicityAlternative imaging when CTPA is unsuitableLesson 6Semiologic meaning of chest signs: acute vs chronic, alveolar vs interstitial, cardiogenic vs noncardiogenic pulmonary edemaThis lesson breaks down what key chest scan signs mean, spotting new from old changes, air sac from tissue patterns, and heart from non-heart fluid buildup using spread, background, and extra clues.
Acute versus chronic parenchymal changesAlveolar consolidation versus interstitial patternCardiogenic versus noncardiogenic edema signsRole of distribution and symmetry in patternsAncillary signs refining semiologic interpretationLesson 7Systematic chest X-ray interpretation: zones, lines, silhouettes, and cardiothoracic ratioThis lesson gives a step-by-step way to read chest X-rays in breathless patients, dividing into zones, checking lines and tubes, using shadow signs, and measuring heart and chest width.
Quality checks: rotation, inspiration, exposureLung zones and systematic search patternEvaluation of lines, tubes, and devicesSilhouette sign and mediastinal contoursCardiothoracic ratio and heart size limitsLesson 8Pulmonary embolism signs on CT: filling defects, right ventricular strain, pulmonary infarct patterns, mosaic perfusionThis lesson details CT signs of lung blood clots in breathlessness, like vessel blocks, right heart strain, dead lung tissue patterns, patchy blood flow, and how they help sort risk levels.
Central and segmental filling defect patternsSubsegmental emboli and technical limitationsCT markers of right ventricular strainPulmonary infarct and wedge-shaped opacitiesMosaic perfusion and differential diagnosesLesson 9Key chest imaging signs: pneumothorax, consolidation, air bronchogram, ground-glass opacity, interstitial markings, Kerley B linesThis lesson reviews main chest scan signs for breathlessness, like collapsed lung, solid areas, air in bronchi, hazy patches, tissue lines, and small fluid lines, with tips on spotting and meaning.
Radiographic and CT signs of pneumothoraxConsolidation and air bronchogram correlationGround-glass opacity: causes and patternsInterstitial markings and reticular patternsKerley B lines and pulmonary venous congestionLesson 10Systematic chest CT interpretation: lung windows, mediastinal windows, vascular phases, and protocol selectionThis lesson outlines a full check of chest CT for breathlessness, using lung and central views, vessel phases, custom protocols, and reviewing airways, lung tissue, lining, and central structures.
Lung window assessment of parenchymal diseaseMediastinal windows for nodes and massesVascular phases in CT pulmonary angiographyProtocol selection in unstable dyspneic patientsStructured checklist for chest CT review
