Management of the Incidental Pulmonary Embolism

OBJECTIVE. The incidental pulmonary embolism (PE) is being identified at an increasing rate because of use of MDCT and presents a management challenge because of a lack of prospective data. Most clinicians treat patients with proximal or segmental incidental PE in the same manner as patients with suspected PE. CONCLUSION. The treatment of subsegmental PE may be guided by an assessment of patient symptoms, risk factors for recurrent venous thrombosis, and concomitant deep venous thrombosis.