Thrombus Burden and Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. PE presents with a wide range of clinical severity and course which requires early risk stratification to inform key management decisions regarding level of care, length of observation, and the need for thrombolysis. Currently, PE is therefore managed and triaged based on hemodynamic values and cardiopulmonary reserve rather than clot location or burden. In this chapter, we aim to outline a quantitative assessment of clot burden in PE and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), discuss correlation of clot burden with clinical outcomes, its role in clinical decision-making and future avenues.