Pulmonary thromboembolic disease: a new role for computed tomography.

Over the past few years, computed tomography (CT) has emerged as a common noninvasive, definitive, alternative to ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy scan and pulmonary angiography in the evaluation of patients suspected of having pulmonary emboli. Additionally, recent articles have investigated the possibility of using CT to identify deep venous thrombi following a spiral CT pulmonary angiogram. Using the same bolus of contrast as that administered for a CT pulmonary angiogram, the ultimate goal is to design a single test that defines both aspects of pulmonary thromboembolic disease. More studies are needed and controversy exists, but CT's role in the evaluation of pulmonary thromboembolic disease appears promising.