title: Incidence of pulmonary embolism and other chest findings in younger patients using multidetector computed tomography.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Vasco
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Herédia
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramalho
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zapparoli
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Semelka
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media