New Technique for Detecting Pulmonary Embolism

According to a study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) , combining a low dose computed tomography (CT) with a form of molecular imaging called single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) may provide an accurate diagnosis for pulmonary embolism.  The researchers tested the diagnostic accuracy of SPECT/CT imaging for pulmonary embolism against that of multidetector CT angiography (MDCT) alone. 

Pulmonary embolism is caused when a blood clot travels to a person's lungs from another location in the body, usually the legs. 

The researchers studied a total of 196 patients suspected of having acute pulmonary embolism from June 2006 to February 2008.  Their study found that SPECT plus low-dose CT had a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 100%, whereas MDCT alone had a sensitivity of 68% and a specificity of 100%. 

The researchers concluded that having an effective technique for diagnosing pulmonary embolism leads to more rapid and successful diagnosis. 

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