The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) relies essentially on a probabilistic approach that requires careful clinical assessments, targeted laboratory tests, and the use of appropriate imaging tools. Nowadays, the diagnostic gold standard is computed tomographic pulmonary angiography. Lung ultrasound (LUS) can play a role in the diagnosis of PE mainly by allowing the visualization of peripheral lung infarctions. Hypoechoic, pleural-based parenchymal consolidation is the most typical and common finding of pulmonary infarction. More than 85% of infarct lesions are wedge-shaped, extending to the pleural surface and are localized to where the patient complains of pleuritic chest pain. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be performed in addition to basic ultrasound examination to ascertain nonvascularization of the consolidation, thus confirming that the lesion is an infarct. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the latest evidence on the application of LUS to the diagnosis of PE, focusing purely on thoracic/lung signs.

肺栓塞 (PE) 的诊断主要依赖于概率方法，需要仔细的临床评估、有针对性的实验室测试以及使用适当的成像工具。如今，诊断金标准是计算机断层肺血管造影。肺部超声（LUS）主要通过使周围肺梗塞可视​​化在 PE 的诊断中发挥作用。低回声、基于胸膜的实质实变是肺梗死最典型和常见的表现。超过 85% 的梗塞病灶呈楔形，延伸至胸膜表面，且局限于患者主诉胸膜炎性胸痛的部位。除了基本超声检查外，还可进行超声造影，以确定实变的非血管化情况，从而确认病变是否为梗塞。这篇叙述性综述的目的是总结 LUS 应用于 PE 诊断的最新证据，仅关注胸部/肺部体征。