Aim: We aimed to detect lesions that can mimic this clinical picture, except embolism, in patients with a preliminary diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, and no embolism was detected in multislice computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) examination.
Material and Methods: Turkey Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital Radiology Department, in our CT unit; between January 2007 and July 2008, from the emergency service and other clinics; A total of 180 cases, 86 males and 94 females, mean age 55, who were referred to our clinic with the suspicion of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) based on history, physical examination, chest radiography, and laboratory findings, and who underwent pulmonary angiography with multislice computed tomography, were analyzed. Cases found to have pulmonary embolism were excluded from the study. Multislice computed tomography angiography examinations (Lightspeed 16, General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis., USA) were performed in all patients using a 16 detector Computed tomography device.
Patients who may be confused with PTE clinically in the mediastinal window; pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, and parenchyma window; Pneumonic infiltration-consolidation, mass, emphysema, presence of fibrotic structures were evaluated.
Results: CT scans were normal in 18 (12.5%) of 143 patients presented with pulmonary embolism, and no embolism was found. Interstitial fibrosis in 94 cases (65.7%), atelectasis in 53 cases (37.06%), emphysema in 53 cases (37.06%), ice glass in 38 cases (26.5%), pleural effusion in 34 cases (23.7%), consolidation in 22 cases (15.3%), Pericardial effusion was detected in 14 cases (9.7%) and a mass in the lung in 10 cases (7.6%).
Conclusion: In patients without pulmonary embolism, the group of diseases that should be considered primarily in the differential diagnosis are Interstitial Lung Disease and Chronic Obstructive Lung diseases.
Key words: Multislice computed tomography angiography, pulmonary embolism, interstitial lung disease
|
