Imaging of lung structure destruction for predictive diagnosing acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive lung disease complicated with pulmonary thromboembolism or pulmonary thrombosis in situ

Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor for pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), which often originates from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and is a common comorbidity [1]. Autopsy data have shown that the incidence of COPD complicated with PTE is 28 %−51 %, and the incidence of pulmonary thrombosis in situ (PTS), especially multiple pulmonary arteriole in situ thrombosis, is as high as that of chronic pulmonary heart disease, 89.8 % [2]. Diagnosing acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) patients with PTE/PTS as soon as possible especially for severe cases is difficult because of the lack of a specific indicator; thus, appropriate treatment may be delayed, resulting in an extension of the hospital stay, higher mortality and a worse prognosis for these AECOPD patients, indicating that timely thrombo- prophylaxis should be strengthened [3–5].