title: CT angiography findings of the left atrium and right ventricle in patients with massive pulmonary embolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to show the imaging findings of the left atrium and right ventricle on CT angiography in patients with massive pulmonary embolism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Massive pulmonary embolism can cause abrupt acute pulmonary arterial hypertension, right ventricular dysfunction, and decrease in left ventricular preload. Patients with these findings on CT angiography can have a poorer prognosis than those without these imaging findings. Consequently, recognizing anatomic changes such as right ventricular dilation or septal bowing, decrease in size of left atrium and pulmonary veins (a manifestation of decreased pulmonary venous return) would be useful for risk stratification at the time of massive pulmonary embolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Thoracic Imaging Division, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. ocaki@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Iclal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ocak
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuhrman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids; C054871:ioversol