Pulmonary embolism at multi- detector row ct of chest : One-year survival of treated and untreated patients

Purpose: To retrospectively assess outcome in patients with clinically unsuspected pulmonary embolism (PE) at chest multi–detector row computed tomography (CT). Materials and Methods: Institutional review board approval and informed consent were not required. PE was assessed in consecutive CT scans in 1966 patients (mean age, 60 years; range, 15–96 years; male-female ratio, 1.79) and graded with severity score. Studies with true-positive and false-negative radiologic diagnoses were determined. Coexisting morbidity, anticoagulant therapy (ACT), complications, and 1-year outcome were reviewed. Statistical evaluation included Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test, Poisson regression, and Kaplan-Meier statistics. Results: Scans were PE positive in 117 patients. Clinical data review was complete in 96 patients; 63 of 96 patients had malignancy; in 58, PE was not suspected. In 38 of these 58 patients, radiology report findings were false-negative (mean severity score, 20.21 ± 17.88 [standard deviation] and 9.55 ± 7.12 f...