title: Thrombotic events as incidental finding on computed tomography in intensive care unit patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are a risk group to develop thrombosis and/or thromboembolism. The purpose of this study was to analyze the frequency and localization of clinically silent thrombotic events (TE) detected on CT.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2006 to 2013 a total of 370 patients from the ICU of our university clinic were investigated by postcontrast CT. In all cases CT was performed for detecting septic foci. There were 135 women and 235 men. CT scans included cervical, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic regions. CT images of all patients were re-interpreted by 2 radiologists by consensus. Only thromboses detected for the first time on CT were included into the analysis. Collected data were evaluated by means of descriptive statistics. Frequencies and localizations of TE in surgical and non surgical patients were analyzed by Chi-square test. Significance level was p<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 31.9% several TE were diagnosed. There were venous thrombosis (89.8%), cardiac thrombus (2.6%), and pulmonary embolism (7.6%). More often jugular veins were affected followed by brachiocephalic veins, and iliac veins. The frequency of TE in surgical patients was 31.1%, and 32.1% in non surgical patients. Patients after surgery had more often thrombosis of extremities veins in comparison to non surgical patients. In 61.9% of all TE the identified thrombotic complications were not diagnosed at the time of CT investigations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TE can be identified in 31.9% of ICU patients as incidental finding on CT. There were venous thromboses, pulmonary embolism, and cardiac thrombus. Most frequently neck and thoracic veins were affected. 61.9% of all TE were not diagnosed at the time of CT investigations. Radiologists should check carefully CT scans for presence of different TE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schramm
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas Gunter
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans Jonas
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. Electronic address: alex.surow@medizin.uni-halle.de.
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Surov
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Computed tomography; Intensive care unit; Thrombotic events