[The clinical and radiological characteristics and evolution of incidentally diagnosed pulmonary thromboembolism].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the cases of pulmonary embolism (PE) detected incidentally in our hospital, the associated risk factors, clinical and radiological characteristics, and evolution.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the reports of routine contrast-enhanced chest CT examinations performed during a 19-month period to detect cases in which PE was diagnosed incidentally. We found 18 cases of incidentally diagnosed PE and we reviewed the clinical histories and CT images of these patients to analyze the risk factors, clinical presentation, radiological characteristics, treatment, and evolution of PE in these cases.


RESULTS
We found 18 patients (9 men and 9 women; mean age: 61 years) with incidentally detected PE. The main risk factor for developing PE was the presence of a neoplasm (n = 16). No PE-related symptoms were present in 12 patients. A multidetector CT scanner was used for the examination in most cases (n = 16). PE was centrally located in 16 patients. Five patients were not treated with anticoagulation and no embolic events occurred in these patients. Two of the remaining patients died because of PE.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidental finding of PE can be common in oncological patients. Multidetector CT probably has a greater capacity for the incidental detection of PE in these patients. The outcome of incidentally detected PE can vary from death to remaining stable to spontaneous resolution.
Tallón Guerola
P
P
Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico. Hospital General Universitario. Alicante. España.
Arenas Jiménez
J
J
de la Hoz Rosa
J
J
Massutí Sureda
B
B
García Marco
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed