Lesson 1Integrating clinical context: risk factors, timing, pleuritic pain, oxygenation, biomarkers (D-dimer, troponin) and how they change diagnostic weightingThis part shows how to blend imaging with clinical details in acute dyspnoea, including risk factors, symptom onset time, pleuritic pain, oxygen levels, and biomarkers like D-dimer and troponin to fine-tune diagnostic chances.
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 part looks at common reading mistakes and look-alikes in acute dyspnoea imaging, such as motion artefacts, beam-hardening, dependent atelectasis, and contrast timing problems, and suggests ways to spot and cut down diagnostic slips.
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 part explains how to compare imaging patterns of pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, cardiogenic oedema, and COPD flare-up, using main semiologic signs to form a ranked, clinically sound differential diagnosis.
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 part covers how to organise chest imaging reports for acute dyspnoea, stressing standard descriptions of lesion location, size, density, edges, spread, and linked findings for reliable, practical communication.
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 part compares chest X-ray and CT pulmonary angiography for acute dyspnoea, listing indications, strengths, limits, and radiation plus contrast concerns to pick the right, patient-friendly modality.
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 part clears up the semiologic sense of key chest imaging signs, telling acute from chronic changes, alveolar from interstitial patterns, and cardiogenic from non-cardiogenic oedema using spread, context, and extra findings.
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 part gives a step-by-step way to read chest X-rays in breathless patients, covering zone division, lines and tubes check, silhouette sign use, and heart size plus mediastinal outline assessment.
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 part zeroes in on CT signs of pulmonary embolism in acute dyspnoea, covering direct vessel findings, right ventricle strain signs, lung infarct patterns, and mosaic perfusion, and their role in risk grading.
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 part reviews main chest imaging signs for acute dyspnoea, like pneumothorax, consolidation, air bronchograms, ground-glass opacities, interstitial lines, and Kerley B lines, stressing spotting and clinical 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 part outlines a step-by-step chest CT approach for acute dyspnoea, including lung and mediastinal windows, vessel phases, protocol tweaks, and structured check of airways, lung tissue, pleura, and mediastinum.
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
