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Spiral CT findings in septic pulmonary emboli

2001; Elsevier BV; Volume: 37; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0720-048x(00)00254-0

1872-7727

Yoshinobu Iwasaki, Kazuhiro Nagata, Masaki Nakanishi, Atushi Natuhara, Hidehiko Harada, Yutaka Kubota, Ichiro Yokomura, Shinichi Hashimoto, Masao Nakagawa,

Ultrasound in Clinical Applications

The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of septic pulmonary emboli and their prevalence on spiral computed tomographic (CT) scans.We evaluated 65 lesions on spiral CT scans in ten patients with septic pulmonary emboli. Spiral CT scans (10-mm collimation) were obtained at 10-mm intervals from the lung apex to the diaphragm and were compared with posteroanterior chest radiographs obtained within 24 h after CT scanning.Only 21 (32%) of the 65 lesions detected on CT scans were also detected on chest radiographs. Peripheral nodules (39 lesions (60%)) were seen in all ten patients, wedge-shaped peripheral lesions (15 lesions (23%)) in nine patients, and infiltrates (11 lesions (17%)) in four patients. Subpleural lesions (45 lesions (69%)) and feeding vessels (35 (54%)) were found in all patients, and cavitary lesions (seven lesions (11%)) were seen in four patients. Subpleural peripheral nodules and wedge-shaped peripheral lesions were seen in nine patients. Thirty-two lesions (49%) ranged in diameter from 10 to 19 mm, and 59 lesions (91%) were less than 30 mm.Spiral CT is useful in detecting septic pulmonary emboli. On spiral CT subpleural peripheral nodules and wedge-shaped peripheral lesions less than 30 mm in diameter are often found in patients with septic pulmonary emboli.