title: Diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism with computed tomography: imaging update.
abstract: Acute pulmonary embolism is recognized as a difficult diagnosis to make. It is potentially fatal if undiagnosed, yet increasing referral rates for imaging and falling diagnostic yields are topics which have attracted much attention. For patients in the emergency department with suspected pulmonary embolism, computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the test of choice for most physicians, and hence radiology has a key role to play in the patient pathway. This review will outline key aspects of the recent literature regarding the following issues: patient selection for imaging, the optimization of CTPA image quality and dose, preferred pathways for pregnant patients and other subgroups, and the role of CTPA beyond diagnosis. The role of newer techniques such as dual-energy CT and single-photon emission-CT will also be discussed.
authors: *Department of Radiology, Royal Brompton Hospital †Department of Radiology, St George's Hospital ‡Department of Radiology, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, London, UK.
authors: Anand
authors: A
authors: Devaraj
authors: Charlie
authors: C
authors: Sayer
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Sheard
authors: Sisa
authors: S
authors: Grubnic
authors: Arjun
authors: A
authors: Nair
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Vlahos
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D