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 scan results with patient details like risks, when symptoms started, chest pain on breathing, oxygen levels, and blood tests like D-dimer and troponin to better judge likely causes of 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 part looks at common traps and look-alikes in breathlessness scans, like movement blur, beam hardening, base lung collapse from lying down, 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 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 part 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 action.
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 weighs chest X-rays against CT lung vessel scans for breathlessness, covering when to use each, their pros and cons, radiation, and contrast risks to pick the best 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 makes clear what key chest scan signs mean, sorting new from old changes, air sac from tissue patterns, and heart from non-heart lung fluid 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 part 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 sizing heart and chest middle.
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 breathlessness, like vessel blocks, right heart strain, dead lung patches, and patchy blood flow, and how they guide 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 scan signs for breathlessness, like air in chest space, solid lung areas, air in solid tubes, misty patches, tissue lines, and small fluid lines, with what they mean for care.
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 full check for chest CT in breathlessness, using lung and chest middle views, vessel stages, custom plans, and review of airways, lung tissue, lining, and middle 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
