Xiaojuan Xiao1, Yao Wang2, Ying Gao3, Qiuxia Xie1, Xuhui Zhou1, Ling Lin4, Ilona A Dekkers4, Hildo J Lamb4. 1. Department of Radiology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China. 2. Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Kunming, China. 3. Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. 4. Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Unsuspected pulmonary embolism (UPE) has been increasingly diagnosed as an incidental finding on CT scans for routine staging in cancer patients. Previous studies suggest that obesity is an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism in patients with malignant tumors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between abdominal adipose tissue, especially visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and the occurrence of UPE in hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal cancer. METHODS: Routine contrast-enhanced chest and abdominal CT scans of 1974 patients were retrospectively assessed for the presence of UPE, of which 58 patients were identified with UPE and 108 non-UPE patients were selected as the non-UPE control group based on several matching criteria. Abdominal adipose tissue was measured by volumes of VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) at the navel level. RESULTS: VAT, SAT, indwelling venous catheters, surgery, chemotherapy, and bed rest or immobilization were associated with the occurrence of UPE. Higher VAT volumes were associated with increased risk of UPE (odds ratio: 1.96; 95% confidence interval: 1.25, 3.06; p = 0.003) adjusting body mass index (BMI), bed rest or immobilization, surgery, chemotherapy and smoking, while SAT was not associated with UPE adjusting the same confounders (p = 0.117). No statistical association was found between BMI and UPE (p = 0.102). CONCLUSION: Higher VAT rather than SAT is associated with an increased risk of unsuspected pulmonary embolism on routine CT scans in hospitalized gastrointestinal cancer patients. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Our findings indicate that VAT is a stronger risk factor for unsuspected pulmonary embolism than BMI and SAT in hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal cancer.
OBJECTIVE: Unsuspected pulmonary embolism (UPE) has been increasingly diagnosed as an incidental finding on CT scans for routine staging in cancer patients. Previous studies suggest that obesity is an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism in patients with malignant tumors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between abdominal adipose tissue, especially visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and the occurrence of UPE in hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal cancer. METHODS: Routine contrast-enhanced chest and abdominal CT scans of 1974 patients were retrospectively assessed for the presence of UPE, of which 58 patients were identified with UPE and 108 non-UPE patients were selected as the non-UPE control group based on several matching criteria. Abdominal adipose tissue was measured by volumes of VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) at the navel level. RESULTS: VAT, SAT, indwelling venous catheters, surgery, chemotherapy, and bed rest or immobilization were associated with the occurrence of UPE. Higher VAT volumes were associated with increased risk of UPE (odds ratio: 1.96; 95% confidence interval: 1.25, 3.06; p = 0.003) adjusting body mass index (BMI), bed rest or immobilization, surgery, chemotherapy and smoking, while SAT was not associated with UPE adjusting the same confounders (p = 0.117). No statistical association was found between BMI and UPE (p = 0.102). CONCLUSION: Higher VAT rather than SAT is associated with an increased risk of unsuspected pulmonary embolism on routine CT scans in hospitalized gastrointestinal cancer patients. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Our findings indicate that VAT is a stronger risk factor for unsuspected pulmonary embolism than BMI and SAT in hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal cancer.
Authors: Jane J Lee; Alison Pedley; Udo Hoffmann; Joseph M Massaro; Daniel Levy; Michelle T Long Journal: Am J Med Date: 2018-03-05 Impact factor: 4.965