title: Age-related incidence of pulmonary embolism and additional pathologic findings detected by computed tomography pulmonary angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) and additional pathologic findings (APF) detected by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) according to different age-groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  1353 consecutive CTPA cases for suspected PE were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into seven age groups: ≤29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and ≥80 years. Differences between the groups were tested using Fisher's exact or chi-square test. A p-value<0.0024 indicated statistical significance when Bonferroni correction was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Incidence rates of PE ranged from 11.4% to 25.4% in different age groups. The three main APF were pleural effusion, pneumonia and pulmonary nodules. No significant difference was found between the incidences of PE in different age groups. Furthermore, APF in different age groups revealed no significant differences (all p-values>0.0024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidences of PE and APF detected by CTPA reveal no significant differences between various age groups.
authors.affiliation: Center for Radiology and Endoscopy, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. groth.michael@googlemail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groth
authors.forename: F O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Henes
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Regier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: P G C
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Begemann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult