Incidence of pulmonary embolism and other chest findings in younger patients using multidetector computed tomography.
BACKGROUND
Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has become the first-line modality for imaging patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). The disadvantages of MDCT, the use of ionizing radiation and iodinated contrast agents, are a reasonable cause of concern, especially in young patients, and therefore it is critical to understand the likelihood of PE in these patients to evaluate a risk benefit analysis.


OBJECTIVE
To calculate the incidence of PE and other chest findings on MDCT in a young adult population investigated for PE.


METHODS
387 consecutive patients (age 31.5+/-13.5 years) underwent chest MDCT for clinically suspected PE between January 2004 and August 2006. Incidence of PE and other chest findings were calculated with a confidence interval of 95% using binomial distribution.


RESULTS
PE incidence was 5%; negative PE with other chest findings was 60%. In 89% of the patients with other chest findings, these included findings of the pleura and/or lung parenchyma. The main patterns of disease were lung opacification suggesting pneumonia (41%), atelectasis (12.4%), and nodular/mass findings (17.5%). In 34% of the patients, there was no PE and no other findings present.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a low incidence of PE in young patients imaged for PE with MDCT.
Herédia
Vasco
V
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Ramalho
Miguel
M
Zapparoli
Mauricio
M
Semelka
Richard C
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media