comparison of ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy and multi-detector computerized tomography in diagnosis of asymptomatic pulmonary embolism after deep vein thrombosis

Objective: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) named due to migration of clots formed in systemic venous system to pulmonary vascular bed is a serious clinical table. After acute DVT, asymptomatic PTE is seen about 40-60% and this situation can not be discovered because of silent clinical course. In this study, we aimed to compare sensivity and spesifity of multi detector computerized tomography (MDCT), which is used extensively in recent years, with ventilation-perfusion (V/P) scintigraphy which is used formerly for diagnosis of asymptomatic PTE developed after acute lower extremity DVT. Methods: The study was carried out 25 patients who were admitted to our clinic and treated for lower extremity acute DVT. Pregnants, and cases with recurrent DVT, presence of symptomatic PTE during admission, thrombosis extending to vena cava, and history of passed PTE were excluded from the study. DVTs in patients were diagnosed by color doppler, and confirmed by D-dimer test. After patients’s admission, V/P scintigraphy and MDCT were used to detects asymptomatic PTE at 1st and 8 th day of the admission. Results: D-dimer was measured as higher in 24 of 25 patients with asemptomatic PTE. Ten patients were diagnosed by MDCT. Development of asymptomatic PTE related to acute DVT was determined as 40%. Conclusion: In terms of diagnostic value, MDCT was found more useful than V/P scintigraphy.