Abstract

In patients with suspected pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) clinical probability does not always correlate with the scintigraphic probability. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and radiological findings in patients with suspected PTE and to assess the role of pulmonary vascular obstruction score (PVOS) in diagnosis. The data of 165 patients with suspected PTE who had undergone perfusion lung scan between 1998 and 2001 were examined retrospectively. Of the 165 patients investigated, 131 had the diagnosis of PTE, 34 had diagnosis other than PTE. The later was assigned as control group. When the clinical and scintigraphic data were compared no correlation was found in both groups. In 147 patients lung scans were scored according to PVOS. The patients with PTE had significantly higher PVOS when compared to control group (PVOS were 47.41, 18.93, p<0.001 respectively). In patients with PTE, PVOS increased in relation to the increase in clinical or scintigraphic probability, where no such relation was found in controls. Within all clinical and scintigraphic probabilities PTE patients had a minimum PVOS of 35.7, where the maximum PVOS was 26.6 in control group. We conclude that in patients with suspected PTE, whom the clinical and scintigraphic probability conflicts PVOS can be helpful in definite diagnosis.