UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: What's the diagnosis? Case written by Dr. Zachary Dezman

Posted: 12/17/2012 by Haney Mallemat, MD
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Question

50 year-old man with presents with acute-onset sharp left-sided chest pain and dyspnea. What's the diagnosis and the name of the abnormality on chest x-ray?

Answer

Answer: Pulmonary embolism with CXR demonstrating "Hampton Hump".

Hampton Hump is a wedge-shaped opacity originating from the periphery of the lung secondary to a pulmonary infarct.
Although classically taught as a radiologic finding associated with pulmonary embolism, it a relatively uncommon finding
- Sensitivity and specificity for pulmonary embolism are 22 and 82%, respectively.

References

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