Intravenous Digital Subtraction Angiography and Lung Imaging: Compared Value in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism

• Published in: Clinical nuclear medicine 1989-03, Vol.14 (3), p.183-186
• Main Authors: ROSSO, JEAN, MUSSET, DOMINIQUE, PETITPRETZ, PATRICK, MENSCH, JANINE, DUROUX, PIERRE, GALLE, PIERRE, MEIGNAN, MICHEL
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Angiography - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Chronic cor pulmonale; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Heart; Humans; Lung - diagnostic imaging; Medical sciences; Pneumology; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary Embolism - diagnostic imaging; Pulmonary hypertension. Acute cor pulmonale. Pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary vascular diseases; Radiographic Image Enhancement; Radionuclide Imaging; Subtraction Technique; Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin
• ISSN: 0363-9762; 1536-0229
• DOI: 10.1097/00003072-198903000-00009

In a prospective study, 42 consecutive patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism underwent ventilation-perfuston (V-Q) lung Imaging and digital subtraction anglography (DSA) concurrently with selective conventional pulmonary anglography (CPA). Thirty-eight studies achieved within 24 hours were reviewed independently by two pairs of observers. The findings were compared using CPA as the gold standard. V-Q lung Imaging had a high percentage of indeterminate results, but none were false negative nor false positive. DSA had a lower percentage of indeterminate results but missed four of the 25 positive cases and erroneously affirmed the presence of pulmonary embolism In three cases. Therefore, the authors think that V-Q lung imaging should remain the screening examination of choice for evaluating patients with suspected pulmonary embollsm.