Automatic assessment of cardiac load due to acute pulmonary embolism: Saddle vs. central and peripheral emboli distribution.

Background: Changes in cardiac chambers' volumes in relations to different distributions of pulmonary embolism (PE) have not been investigated.

Objectives: To compare cardiac chambers' volumes of patients with saddle, central or peripheral PE.

Methods: Consecutive patients with PE on computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), 1/2007-12/2010, divided according to emboli distribution.