Severity of acute pulmonary embolism: evaluation of a new spiral CT angiographic score in correlation with echocardiographic data.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the severity of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) could be quantitatively assessed with spiral CT angiography (SCTA). Thirty-six consecutive patients without underlying cardiopulmonary disease and high clinical suspicion of PE underwent prospectively thin-collimation SCTA and echocardiography at the time of the initial diagnosis (T0) and after initial therapy (T1; mean interval of time T1-T2: 32 days). The CT severity score was based on the percentage of obstructed surface of each central and peripheral pulmonary arterial section using a 5-point scale (1: <25%; 2: 25-49%; 3: 50-74%; 4: 75-99%; 5: 100%).

Risk of pulmonary embolism after a negative spiral CT angiogram in patients with pulmonary disease: 1-year clinical follow-up study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of pulmonary disease on diagnostic utility of spiral computed tomographic (CT) angiography in clinical practice.

Materials And Methods: Three hundred thirty-four patients, including 215 patients with pulmonary disease (group 1) and 119 patients with no history of respiratory disorder (group 2), were referred for thin-collimation CT angiography of the pulmonary circulation as the first-line diagnostic test. Patients with negative angiograms who had not received anticoagulation therapy and who could be clinically followed up at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were considered in the final study groups (n = 185); 135 patients had lung disease (group 3), and 50 patients had no history of a respiratory disorder (group 4).

Peripheral pulmonary arteries: how far in the lung does multi-detector row spiral CT allow analysis?

Purpose: To analyze the influence of multi-detector row spiral computed tomography (CT) on identification of peripheral pulmonary arteries.

Materials And Methods: Peripheral pulmonary arteries were analyzed on optimally opacified contrast material-enhanced spiral CT angiograms in 30 patients devoid of pleuroparenchymal disease who underwent scanning with multi-detector row CT (collimation, 4 x 1 mm; pitch, 1.7-2.

Dose reduction in spiral CT angiography of thoracic outlet syndrome by anatomically adapted tube current modulation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate dose reduction in spiral CT angiography of the thoracic outlet by on-line tube-current control. Prospectively, 114 patients undergoing spiral CT angiography of the subclavian artery for thoracic outlet arterial syndromes were evaluated with and without tube-current modulation at the same session (scanning parameters for the two successive angiograms, one in the neutral position and one after the postural maneuver): 140 kV; 206 mA; scan time 0.75 s; collimation 3 mm; pitch = 1).

Thin-section CT finding in 250 volunteers: assessment of the relationship of CT findings with smoking history and pulmonary function test results.

Purpose: To evaluate the frequency and morphologic characteristics of air trapping in volunteers with various smoking habits.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred fifty volunteers (133 women, 117 men; mean age, 39 years), including 144 smokers, 47 ex-smokers, and 59 nonsmokers, prospectively underwent inspiratory and expiratory high-spatial-resolution computed tomography (CT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The frequency and characteristics of air trapping were evaluated according to the population's smoking habits and PFT results.

Thoracic helical CT: influence of subsecond scan time and thin collimation on evaluation of peripheral pulmonary arteries.

The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of collimation on the identification of peripheral pulmonary arteries on helical CT scans. Three hundred sixty of 370 consecutive helical CT angiograms of the pulmonary circulation obtained during an 18-month investigation period were considered as technically acceptable for the detection of acute pulmonary embolism and were retrospectively analyzed. Patients in group A (n = 274) underwent CT with 2-mm collimation and pitch of 2; those in group B (n = 86) underwent CT with 3-mm collimation and pitch 1.

CT angiography of thoracic outlet syndrome: evaluation of imaging protocols for the detection of arterial stenosis.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the results of cross-sectional imaging and multiplanar and 3D reconstructions for the detection of thoracic outlet arterial stenosis on CT angiograms.

Method: Eighty-two patients were prospectively evaluated with CT angiography: in the neutral position and after postural maneuver (164 acquisitions); with contralateral injection of a 24% (Group 1; n = 68) or 30% (Group 2; n = 96) contrast agent; and reconstruction of four sets of images from each acquisition, that is, transverse CT scans, sagittal reformations, and 3D [shaded surface displays (SSD) and volume-rendered (VR)] images. A total of 656 sets of images were blindly and independently interpreted by three readers of variable experience.

Helical CT angiography of thoracic outlet syndrome: functional anatomy.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the anatomic characteristics of the thoracic outlet in symptomatic patients before and after postural maneuver.

Subjects And Methods: Seventy-nine symptomatic patients (61 female patients [group 1]; 18 male patients [group 2]; mean age, 38 years) underwent helical CT angiography of the thoracic apices in the neutral position and after a postural maneuver, enabling the evaluation of the functional anatomy of the musculoskeletal and arterial structures of the ipsilateral thoracic outlet.

Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the distribution of the distances (maximum and costosubclavian) measured in the neutral position and after postural maneuver in groups 1 and 2.