[Usefulness of enhanced computed tomography in the diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism].
Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) was diagnosed in 22 patients at Saga Medical School between 1981 and 1994. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) was done in 8 patients, and filling defects in the central pulmonary artery were identified in 6. Parenchymal shadows (wedge shaped shadows, subpleural consolidation, or nodular shadow's) were noted in 5. When enhanced CT was done during acute severe respiratory failure in 3 patients, pulmonary artery filling defects were found in all. These findings suggest that enhanced CT is useful as a diagnostic tool for acute PTE with respiratory failure. Electron beam CT may be a sensitive and specific means of diagnosing PTE because it can be done quickly and without breath-holding. We conclude that enhanced CT should be used as the first diagnostic procedure in patients with severe respiratory failure who may have PTE.
Nakahara
Y
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Japan.
Kawashima
M
M
Fujisawa
N
N
Naitoh
K
K
Akashi
S
S
Hayashi
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed