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 patient's clinical story in acute shortness of breath, using risk factors, when symptoms started, chest pain on breathing, oxygen levels, and tests like D-dimer and troponin to better weigh possible diagnoses.
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 traps and look-alikes in imaging for acute shortness of breath, like movement blur, beam-hardening, base collapse from gravity, and wrong contrast timing, with tips to spot and avoid wrong diagnoses.
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 teaches how to compare imaging looks of blood clot in lungs, lung infection, heart failure fluid, and COPD flare-up, using main signs to make a solid list of likely causes that fits the patient's condition.
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 explains how to organise chest scan reports for shortness of breath, stressing standard ways to note where the issue is, its size, density, edges, spread, and related signs for reliable, useful reports.
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 lung vessel scan for shortness of breath, listing when to use each, their strengths, limits, 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 part clears up what key chest imaging signs mean, telling new from old changes, air sac from tissue space patterns, and heart-related from other lung fluid using spread, context, 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 part gives a step-by-step way to read chest X-rays in breathless patients, covering zones, lines and tubes, shadow sign, and heart to chest size ratio.
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 highlights CT signs of lung blood clots in shortness of breath, covering vessel blocks, right heart stress, lung damage patterns, patchy blood flow, and how they affect 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 part covers main chest signs for shortness of breath like air in chest space, solid areas, air in lung tubes, misty patches, tissue lines, and Kerley B lines, stressing 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 part outlines a proper way to read chest CT for shortness of breath, using lung and chest centre views, vessel phases, custom protocols, and checking 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
