The role of venous colour flow Doppler to aid the non-diagnostic lung scintigram for pulmonary embolism.
Sixty patients admitted with a clinical diagnosis of pulmonary embolism underwent a prospective analysis of the value of lung ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy and lower limb colour flow venous Doppler. Twenty-two per cent of scintigrams gave a high probability of pulmonary embolus (PE) and 45% a low probability/normal. The remainder were classed as indeterminate scintigrams (33%) and of these, 55% showed leg thrombi on the ultrasound scan. These patients were therefore treated by anticoagulation. A small number of the low probability scintigrams also proved to have lower limb thrombi by ultrasound. As a result of these two investigations just over half of these patients with a clinical diagnosis of PE were anticoagulated (31 out of 60). In 62% of these the ultrasound suggested thrombi confined to the calf as a source of PE.
Bradley
M J
MJ
Department of Radiology, Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust, Oakwood, South Yorkshire.
Alexander
L
L
D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000150:complications; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional