Role of spiral computed tomography pulmonary angiography in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

Abstract

The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a problem in the clinical practice. The clinical diagnosis is unreliable. This prospective study aimed to assess the reliability of Spiral Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA) of the pulmonary arteries in the diagnosis of PE. The study performed on sixteen patients suspected clinically of having PE. All patients were examined at spiral CT section, using Somatom plus-4 machine at the Surgical Specialties Hospital (10 patients, whom underwent additional pulmonary angiography exam) and Tikrit teaching Hospital (6 patients) From February 2002 to November 2002 & from October 2007-May 2008. There were no complications associated with the 16 spiral C TPA or the 10 pulmonary angiography examinations. An adequate diagnostic quality has been obtained in all patients & equal results had been obtained to that of  ulmonary angiography (done for only 10 patients). We concluded that spiral CTA proved to be rapid, effective in the detection &exclusion of PE in pulmonary arteries up to the segmental level and it's a safe test with a high technical success rate.