Pathophysiology of pulmonary embolism

There are more factors relevant for the pathophysiology of a pulmonary embolism than the mere increase of right ventricular pressure. In the early phase of a pulmonary embolism hemodynamic changes characterize the course of the disease. During the post-acute phase the interactions of different humoral factors are dominant. The hemodynamic changes associated with an acute pulmonary embolism are well understood and the pathophysiological sequence is rather clear. Yet the contribution of the humoral changes and the mechanisms finally leading in a minority of the patients to chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is rather unclear. © Springer Medizin Verlag 2006.