Cornelia Maria Schaefer-Prokop MD, Presenter: Advisory Board, Riverain Technologies, LLC

1) To get familiar with protocols and diagnostic performance of comprehensive cardiothoracic CT examinations to determine the presence of vascular life threatening events such as aortic dissection, acute coronary disease and pulmonary embolism. 2) To illustrate typical but also less classic CXR and CT findings of patients with pulmonary or mediastinal diseases causing acute dyspnoea and / or requiring immediate treatment and to learn about key imaging findings in these patients allowing for a fast differential diagnosis. 3) To learn how to adapt CT protocols to CXR findings and to integrate imaging findings with lab findings, patient history and clinical information for making the diagnosis.

Pulmonary symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or wheezing are common non-traumatic symptoms prompting ER visits. Because clinical symptoms are very non-specific, imaging plays a major role in differentiating life threatening from less severe diseases and forming a diagnosis. The chest radiograph remains the first imaging despite its limited sensitivity for certain diseases and being prone to inter-observer variability. Comprehensive cardiothoracic CT examinations using most modern CT equipment are well evaluated in their diagnostic accuracy to determine the presence of vascular life threatening events such aortic dissection, acute coronary disease and pulmonary embolism. Protocols, literature evidence and appropriate examples will be discussed. In addition the course will highlight nonvascular emergencies such as mediastinal diseases (e.g., esophageal perforation, mediastinitis or pericarditis) and pulmonary emergencies (e.g., pneumonia, edema, pneumothorax, exacerbation of diffuse lung diseases) for which a more comprehensive consideration of imaging findings, lab findings, patient history and clinical information is needed for making the diagnosis.  

Schaefer-Prokop, C, Non-Traumatic Thoracic Emergencies  .  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/13011114.html