Scintigraphic defects, echocardiographic findings and 6mWT desaturation after a hemodynamically stable pulmonary embolism (PE)

Perfusion Scintigraphy(PS) defects after acute PE without Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension(CTEPH) development, continues to be debated. AIM: to assess prevalence of PS defects 6months after acute PE and its possible association with echocardiographic abnormalities and with 6minute walking test(6mWT) abnormalities. METHODS/MATERIAL: Prospective study of patients with acute PE in Hospital Universitario Araba(June2014 to June2015).PS defects assessed by semi-quantitative estimation depending on number of affected segments (1: > or = to 2 segmental defects.0:no defects).6mWT performed as recommended by SEPAR.Echocardiographic according to ASE Guideline(2010).SPSS. RESULTS: from 90 patients included,28(31.1%) had PS abnormality.12(13.3%) had significant defects.Among patients who had significant defects(1) and those who not(0),no differences were detected with distance walked in 6mWT,neither with initial O2saturation but it had it with final O2saturation.Neither an association was found between perfusion defects with echocardiographic findings.AT(m/s) abnormalities trended to an association(p 0.057) CONCLUSIONS: 1.The presence of PS defects after acute PE were significantly associated with impaired gas exchange during exercise, but did not with the echocardiographic abnormalities.2.Significant persistent PS defects after an acute PE episode is lower in our cohort than in literature.