Hampton hump

24 year old female with bacterial endocarditis with multiple pulmonary emboli, some cavitating. The CXR shows multiple foci of consolidation with a wedge shaped defect in the posterior segment of the left upper lobe consistent with a Hamptons hump caused by an embolic infarction
Ashley Davidoff MD TheCommonvein.net 24f PE Hampton’s hump 001
24 year old female with bacterial endocarditis with multiple pulmonary emboli, some cavitating. The CT shows multiple foci of consolidation with a foci of consolidations in the posterior segments of the upper lobes bilaterally The focal consolidation in the right upper lobe is cavitating
Ashley Davidoff MD TheCommonvein.net 24f PE Hampton’s hump 002
24 year old female with bacterial endocarditis with multiple pulmonary emboli, some cavitating. The CT scan shows a wedge shaped conglomerate region of cosolidation in the posterior segment of the left upper lobe consistent with a Hamptons hump caused by an embolic infarction
Ashley Davidoff MD TheCommonvein.net 24f PE Hampton’s hump 003
Hampton hump. Frontal radiograph of the chest (A) depicts a peripheral opacity overlying the lateral aspect of the right lower lobe. Follow-up enhanced CT of the chest (B) shows a wedge-shaped peripheral opacity within the right lower lobe caused by infarction due to pulmonary embolus. Mediastinal windows (C) of the same patient show multiple occlusive emboli within the segmental branches of the lower lobes in keeping with pulmonary emboli.
Source
Signs in Thoracic Imaging
Journal of Thoracic Imaging 21(1):76-90, March 2006.

On plain radiographs (Fig. 14A) and CT (Figs. 14B, C), pulmonary infarcts are typically multifocal, peripheral in location, contiguous with one or more pleural surfaces, and more commonly confined to the lower lungs.3,47,48 The apex of these rounded or triangularly shaped opacities may point toward the hilum.3 The opacities resolve slowly over a period of several months, akin to “melting ice cubes,” and may leave a residual scar.3 The first documentation of the finding was made by Aubrey Otis Hampton, who was a practicing radiologist in the mid 1920s. He and his co-author Castleman first reported evidence of incomplete pulmonary infarction in the setting of PE in the 1940s.47,48 Autopsy follow-up showed evidence of intra-alveolar hemorrhage without alveolar wall necrosis in the first 2 days of infarction. After 2 days, wall necrosis begins and eventually leads to pulmonary infarction and an organized scar.47,48 Hampton also observed that there were differences in the healing of these incomplete infarcts depending on their premorbid cardiac history.47,48 In patients without heart disease, the incomplete infarcts would generally heal without scarring, whereas patients with congestive failure were more likely to progress to infarction with a persisting pulmonary scar.47,48 When pulmonary embolism results in infarction, airspace opacities typically develop within 12 to 24 hours.3,48

References and Links

CXR Map