title: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: do not miss the chance for an early diagnosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension most often results from obstruction of the pulmonary vascular bed by nonresolving thromboemboli. Misdiagnosis of the disease is common because patients often present with subtle or nonspecific symptoms. Furthermore, some features in chest imaging may mimic parenchymal lung disease. The most clinically important mimic in high-resolution chest tomography is air trapping, which can be seen in a variety of small airway diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present the case of a 45-year-old woman with a long history of dyspnea and exercise intolerance, misdiagnosed with allergic alveolitis. The diagnosis of CTEPH was finally established with computed tomography (CT) angiography and hemodynamics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic thromboembolism is under-diagnosed and also frequently misdiagnosed in clinical practice. The present report aims to increase the awareness of clinicians towards an accurate diagnosis of the disease, which is necessary for the early referral of CTEPH patients for operability.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bagalas
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Asimina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paspala
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Evdokia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sourla
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akritidou
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsolakidou
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Afroditi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boutou
authors.affiliation: St. Luke's Hospital, Thessaloniki Heart Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Antonis A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pitsis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manika
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Kioumis
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stanopoulos
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pitsiou
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed