“Distal bright vessel sign” – Novel radiological sign of pulmonary thromboembolism

Abstract

We describe a novel radiological sign of pulmonary thromboembolism on computed tomography aortic angiogram. It consists of focal hyperenhancement of pulmonary arteries distal to the pulmonary thrombus, while the thrombus itself remains occult and the rest of pulmonary arteries are hypoattenuating. The sign was observed on computed tomography aortic angiograms in 2 patients assessed for suspected acute aortic syndrome. Pulmonary emboli were subsequently confirmed with computed tomography pulmonary angiography. Keywords: Pulmonary thromboembolism, Computed tomography aortic angiography, Computed tomography pulmonary angiography, Distal bright vessel sign, Radiological signs of pulmonary embolism