title: CT pulmonary angiography in pregnant and postpartum women: low yield, high dose.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the diagnostic utility of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in pregnant/postpartum women with age-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective case-control series of pregnant/postpartum women and control women who underwent CTPA from 2008 to 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 34 pregnant women, 16 postpartum women, and 50 controls. CTPAs were positive in 2% of pregnant/postpartum women and 16% of controls (P=.003). The main pulmonary artery mean opacification was 271 Hounsfield units (HU) for pregnant/postpartum women vs. 303 HU (P=.12). Radiation exposure was high in both groups but lower in pregnant/postpartum women, 10 vs. 14 mSv (P=.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CTPA in pregnant and postpartum women had low yield and remained high dose.
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco, Department of Radiology. Electronic address: eric.jordan@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Radiology.
authors.forename: Alla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godelman
authors.affiliation: Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Radiology.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Levsky
authors.affiliation: Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Radiology.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zalta
authors.affiliation: Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Radiology.
authors.forename: Linda B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Haramati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D037841:Pregnant People; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: CT pulmonary angiogram; Postpartum; Pregnancy; Pulmonary emboli